


why'd you have to go and make me fall so hard for you

by Jellybean96



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Actor!AU, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, F/M, Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Social Media, celeb!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2020-02-29 17:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 64,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18782836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybean96/pseuds/Jellybean96
Summary: His career is well underway, hers is very nearly just beginning. They're both about to go down a path that will change their lives forever. In more ways than one.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey babes! Got a new story for ya! This one has been in the works for quite a while, and I think I'm finally in a position where I'm comfortable posting the first chapter. This is gonna be a bit of a long story, with some serious slow burn, so hang in there with me, okay?
> 
> This one's a celeb!AU since I'm a sucker for those. However, since I am not in the industry in any way, most of the knowledge I have about it comes from Google searches, YouTube videos, and behind the scenes videos from various celebrities that I follow. So I've done my best.
> 
> Enjoy!

Tapping away lightly at the keys on the keyboard of her laptop, Skye bops her head lightly to the rhythm of the music coming through her earbuds. She's completely in the zone, not noticing a single thing going on around her as she randomly surfs the web checks her various social media accounts, responding to the one or two comments from her small fan base. She may not have a huge following, but they're all sweet and very encouraging, always telling her they want to see her in bigger projects so she can show the world her talent. If only they knew how tough it really is.

She jumps at the quick tap on her shoulder, looking up to see her Manager standing next to her bed. "Hey, Nat." She smiles at the redhead and pulls the buds from her ears. "Sorry I didn't hear you come in. I was preoccupied." She gestures to the computer in her lap, her legs crossed up underneath of her as she leans back against the headboard behind her.

"It's fine," Natasha returns with a smile, sitting down in front of Skye on her bed, setting her bag down behind her. "Put that away for a moment so we can talk properly." She gestures to the laptop.

Skye rolls her eyes but closes the lid of her laptop and sets it off to the side on the nightstand and then faces her manager. She sits up straight, sets her hands in her lap and takes a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready, you have my full attention. What's up?"

"Well, as I promised you when I first approached you about becoming your manager all those months ago, I believe I have an audition for you that I think you might genuinely be interested in this time around."

"Hey, I was interested in all of the other ones too," Skye defends herself. Then she gives a small shrug. "Mostly."

"Right, well, I think this one will really grab your interest."

"What's it for?" Skye asks.

"A movie that Shield Studios is doing."

Skye raises both eyebrows and leans forward. "Wait, Shield Studios? As in one of  _the_  biggest film and television companies in the entire U.S.?"

Natasha nods her head with a small, amused smile at Skye's excitement. "Yes, they are currently holding open auditions for the female lead of their latest project; they aren't sure yet if they want to cast a familiar face or a new face, hence the open auditions. I've already heard the basic premise for the movie, and the character, and I think that this one just might be right up your alley, Skye."

"Really? You think I'll do a good job with it?"

Natasha leans forward and rests one of her hands over Skye's. "I  _know_ you'll do a  _great_  job with it, Skye. You're very talented, I knew it from the first moment I saw you in that short film. This could be the big break you've always been hoping for since you moved out here."

"Thanks, Nat," Skye says with a smile. She takes a deep breath as both women lean back. "So when are the auditions being held?"

"Sometime next week, I believe. I talked to some of my contacts over at the studio today and they said they're going to call me back a little bit later with all of the pertinent information for the role, as well as send over the scenes you'll be auditioning with."

"Okay, wow," Skye says, letting out a breath at the thought of being in a blockbuster film. There's no doubt in her mind it'll be big since it's Shield Studios. They always go big on their movies. "This is huge," she tells her agent, running a hand through her hair. "I mean, this is  _Shield Studios_ , for crying out loud. The people who end up in their movies become huge. Like, Tony Stark, huge. The man only signed on to do one film with them and they ended up signing him for three more films for that character that they hadn't originally planned on doing because the fans wanted more. Now he's one of the biggest names in the industry with one of the largest fan bases out there. Everyone knows who he is, even if they aren't a fan."

Natasha laughs quietly. "I know, Skye. Contrary to what you might be inclined to think, I actually do tend to stay on top of what's going on in this industry. If I didn't, then I wouldn't exactly be very good at my job of finding and getting you auditions."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Natasha smiles. "Of course I am."

Skye rolls her eyes and smiles back. She's so glad that she's so close with her manager, that they're actually more friends than anything else. "Anyway, you haven't told me what this movie is about yet and I'm eager to know."

"Basically it's a superhero movie," Natasha tells her.

Skye raises an eyebrow. "Seriously? Another superhero movie?"

"Yes. But it actually sounds like a pretty cool movie. It's about this man and woman who live in the same city, but they've never met each other before, obviously. I don't know the entire story because they want to keep most of it under wraps so people can be surprised and whatnot when it comes out, but the man and woman are both exposed to something that gives them certain abilities."

"Let me guess," Skye cuts in. "They team up to stop some big bad who's trying to take over the city."

Natasha chuckles. "Something like that. But of course, there are the usual bumps along the road to being heroes, because not every superhero movie can be all smooth sailing, right?"

Skye nods. "Of course. It wouldn't be a superhero origin story without its usual set of problems."

"No, it would not."

"Do you know if they've cast anyone else yet?" Skye asks, shifting in her seat.

Natasha shakes her head. "Sorry, no. But I did hear a rumor that they're trying to get Grant Ward as the male lead. They haven't confirmed or denied that one yet, though, so people are still just speculating at this point."

Skye's eyes go wide again at hearing the name and she sits up straighter. "Grant Ward? As in one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Hottest Guys in Hollywood for the last four years?"

Natasha smiles at her. "That would be the one."

Skye falls back against her pillow, letting out a breath at the thought of being in a blockbuster movie with  _Grant Ward_  of all people. "Wow. If both of us book this movie it could be a  _huge_ boost for my career." She sits back up and looks at her agent. "I mean, just getting the movie alone would be a huge boost in and of itself, obviously. But if Grant Ward was my co-star? Do you know how many followers he has on Twitter and Instagram? A lot."

"You have quite a few as well, don't you?"

"Not as many as he does, Nat. The man is  _amazing_ on screen. If I get to do this movie with him...holy crap." She frowns. "Oh man, now I don't want to do this movie with him."

Natasha furrows her brows. "What? Why not? Just a second ago you were thrilled at the idea."

"Did you seriously not hear me, though? I sounded like another one of his crazy fangirls."

"You'd get over that pretty quickly if you both booked the movie," Natasha assures her. "After you get to know him a little and you start filming the movie you'll completely get over the whole starstruck phase and he'll be just another person to you."

"If you say so."

"I do say so," the red-head insists, leaning forward just a little. "I've seen it plenty of times before to know that it's true. You'll meet him, fangirl a bit, and then you'll slowly start to get over it and actually act normal around him."

Skye lets out a deep sigh. "Fine. Just know that I'm really trusting you on this."

"Don't worry, Skye," Natasha tells her. "I'm hardly ever wrong about these kinds of things. When, not if, because I am very confident in your acting abilities,  _when_ you get this role, it won't be very long before you and Grant Ward are acting like you've known each other forever. Like you're best friends."

"Guess I'll just have to take your word for it until it actually happens.  _If_ it happens."

"It will," Natasha reassures her. She takes a deep breath and stands up from the bed. "Now, I have to go and run a few errands, but I will talk to you later, and as soon as I get the scenes you'll be auditioning with, I'll send them straight over to you."

"Great, thanks."

Natasha gives her a smile. "No problem. Do you need anything else from me in regards to your career before I head out?" she asks.

Skye tilts her head in thought for a moment, racking her brain. "Nothing comes to mind. But I'll be sure to let you know if something does."

"Sounds like a plan. Just...try not to text me tonight if you think of something. If it's an emergency, that's fine, but otherwise, try to wait until tomorrow."

Skye grins and sits up a little straighter, eager to know more about her manager's personal life. "Ooh, big plans for tonight?"

She can see the slight hesitation in Natasha's eyes before she sighs and nods. "As a matter of fact, yes. I have a date tonight."

If it's even at all possible, Skye's grin widens at the new information. "A date?"

"Yes, a date. And I'm really hoping that this goes well because it is not easy finding a guy, especially one in the industry, who's okay with being with a strong-willed woman who isn't afraid of saying no and putting him in his place."

"Tell me about it," Skye replies.

Natasha furrows her brows. "What are you even talking about? You have a boyfriend. And a pretty great one, at that."

She shrugs. "Well, yeah. But it wasn't easy dating before him when I was starting out trying to get my career off the ground. I'm just glad Miles is okay with my strong-willed nature. So who's your date?" she asks.

"I've never actually met him before, so it's kind of like a blind date. Apparently, Nick knows him and he thinks we'll be a good match or something. I don't know. So we're meeting tonight at six-thirty for dinner."

"Well good luck to you, then, I hope everything works out well and you get yourself a good man," Skye says to her friend.

Natasha smiles. "Thank you, Skye."

"That's what I'm here for."

Natasha just laughs quietly and then makes her way out of the room.

Skye waits until the other woman leaves the room before pulling her laptop back into her lap. She flips up the lid and logs back in, her internet browser filling the screen again with everything she'd been busy doing before Natasha showed up.

She puts her earbuds back into her ears, presses play on the music on her phone, and immerses herself back into her own little world.

* * *

"Hey, Grant!"

Turning away from the punching bag hanging up in front of him at hearing his name, Grant finds his Manager approaching him with a kind smile on his face.

"Hey man," Grant says, stepping away from the exercise equipment to pull Clint into a quick hug, side-stepping the large, black German Shepherd curled up on the hardwood floor of the private gym of his apartment complex. "What's up?"

"I'm just going to cut to the chase here since I know that's what you prefer," Clint tells him, being sure to keep his voice low so as not to disturb the other people in the room. "You know that new movie Shield Studios is doing, right? The one you read the script for last week?"

"The one about the two people who end up becoming superheroes?" Grant clarifies as he moves back over to sit on one of the workout machines and continue exercising, just not as heavily as he was before.

"Yes, that one," Clint says with a nod, moving to sit on one of the machines Grant isn't using.

"What about it?" he asks, his breathing becoming a bit heavier as he works.

"The Casting Director called your agent who called me and so I'm here to tell you that they really want you to play the male lead." He smiles at Grant.

Grant pauses and glances over his shoulder. "Really? They don't want anyone else for it?" He turns back and continues his repetitions on the machine.

Clint shakes his head. "Nope. They said that they think you'll fit the role perfectly and bring something to the part that no one else can."

"Wow. I guess that's pretty cool."

"Pretty cool?" Clint looks at him with disbelief. "Grant, this is more than just 'pretty cool', this is  _huge_. Do you know what being in this movie will do for your career? It'll boost it way up."

"My career is already way up," Grant reminds him, slowing his movements until he's stopped. He shifts on his seat and turns to look at Clint. "Unless you're forgetting that you're currently in the same room as one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Hottest Guys in Hollywood of the last four years." He smirks.

Clint rolls his eyes. "No, I haven't forgotten. You never let me forget it. And yes, I know you're pretty big in this industry already. But doing a movie with Shield Studios, no matter how big of a movie star you already are, is an awesome deal."

Grant thinks for a minute about the offer. He has a few other offers for movies floating around, most of them as the male lead in another romantic comedy. In his honest opinion, he's done way too many of those over the course of his career. Doing a superhero movie might be a nice change of pace. And it'll help him hone more of his skills.

He looks over at his manager and gives a small nod of his head. "Tell them I'll do the movie."

Clint smiles and lets out a breath of air. "Excellent. I'll give them a call and tell them you'll do the movie. Even though I very well could have already done that but I didn't, as to make you feel like you made the decision yourself."

Grant chuckles and shakes his head. "Seriously, Clint?"

Clint shrugs. "What? I've been your manager for a long time now, Grant, though I don't know why when you can afford a whole lot better than me."

"I like the way you handle things for me. My agent's great, I won't deny that, but I like the personal touch that you give things."

Clint nods. "Right. Well, because I know you so well, I knew once I heard about it that you'd take the role."

Grant sighs. "Alright. When do I need to be in for the table read?"

"Not until they cast the female lead, is my best guess."

"Okay. And when are they doing that?"

"I haven't given me all of the specifics yet. But they do want you there to do a chemistry read with all the girls who make it to that point."

"Okay. If that's what they want."

"It is. Though, I think they might be having one or two other guys there for the chemistry read, just to throw people off and make them think they haven't cast you yet. They want to keep everything as close to the belt as they can for this one."

Grant nods. "Alright. I am a little bit worried about this, though. Some of the girls that audition for these things can be kind of crazy, or fake."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Clint tries to assure him.

Grant lets out a huffed laugh at his friends' attempts at optimism. "Yeah, well, when you've been to as many auditions and chemistry reads as I have, then you've seen your fair share of everything. A lot of the girls I've read with before were never really in it because they love to act, they were in it because they wanted the fame, the recognition, the money, or they just wanted to meet their favorite celebrities and figured it'd be the best way to go about it."

"They haven't all been like that, have they?" Clint asks him curiously.

Grant shakes his head. "No. Thank goodness. For every bad, awkward, or just plain weird audition or chemistry ready, there's a good, genuine, sometimes pleasant audition or chemistry read. And those are always my favorite kind."

"I'm sure they are," Clint says with a nod. He takes a deep breath. "Now, if we're done here, I have to leave because I have a date to go home and get ready for."

Grant raises a brow. "A date? You don't date."

"I date," Clint defends himself quickly. "Just...not very often. And this is more of a blind date, actually. Nick set it up, thinks this woman will be good for me or something."

Grant nods. "Right. Well, good luck. Don't be an idiot and you'll be fine."

Clint deadpans. "Gee, thanks for the advice, I never would have thought of that."

Grant laughs. "I'm sorry. But seriously, man, have fun on your date. I really hope it goes well for you."

"Thanks, Grant. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see ya."

Once Clint is out of the room, Grant turns his attention to his dog, still lying on the floor peacefully. "Max, you up for a quick jog around the block?"

Max lifts his head and lets out a quick bark.

Grant smiles. "I thought so. Go wait by the door, I'll be right there. Go on." He gestures toward the door and Max hops up, quickly padding across the floor and out of the room.

Grant takes a deep breath and then stands up, grabbing a nearby towel to dry himself off a bit before his jog. He grabs his t-shirt out of one of the provided cubbies and pulls it on over his head, adjusting it so it sits comfortably.

Tossing the towel down into the provided laundry hamper, he walks over to where Max is patiently waiting for him, his tail wagging quickly behind him. He smiles and pulls his headphones out of the pockets on his shorts as he makes his way to the front doors of the building, Max right beside him. He pulls open the front door and then steps outside, closing the door tightly behind him again as he breathes in deeply.

.

.

.

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_Okay, but Grant Ward jogging with his dog down by Santa Monica while listening to music is my favorite thing ever._

_Only way it could be better is if he was shirtless, but beggars can't be choosers._

_#Grant Ward #hi handsome #no one on earth should be allowed to be that attractive #I'm so weak_

**10 notes**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Thanks to those that have left kudos and followed/reviewed this story so far.
> 
> Enjoy!

Taking a deep breath in to calm her nerves, she begins moving across the familiar lobby, shuffling the papers in her arms a bit to make sure they’re secure and won't fall.

“Hi,” she says when she gets to the receptionist desk, hiking her bag up a little higher onto her shoulder and handing over her ID that she’d remembered to dig out before entering the building. “I’m here for the  _ Secret War _ chemistry read.”

The woman behind the desk takes a quick glance at her ID before handing it back. “Sign in here, please.” The woman hands her a pen and slides a small binder toward her over the counter.

She quickly scrawls her signature on the sheet of paper and then slides it back toward the woman.

“Thank you,” the woman says. “Do you know where you’re going?”

Skye nods her head with a smile. “I do, yes. Thank you.”

She turns away from the desk and makes her way down the indicated hallway, tucking her ID back into her bag, not really caring where it ends up. It’s the same hallway she took for each of the other auditions she went to for the movie.

Once she reaches the waiting area for the chemistry read, she stops and takes a deep breath while looking around. There are hard plastic chairs lining three of the walls, a few different girls occupying some of the chairs. Skye looks at each of the girls in turn, watching for a moment as they all tediously go over the script pages in their hands.

Skye is about to step toward the nearest open chair when someone bumps into her from behind, causing her to stumble forward and drop her script onto the floor, as well as knock her coffee against her body.

“Seriously?” she hisses at the feeling of the still hot coffee starting to soak through her shirt. She pulls at the material and sucks her stomach in as best she can, trying to keep the coffee from touching her body as much as possible. “I do not need this right now.”

“I am so sorry,” she hears someone say from behind her. “That was totally my fault; I’m running a bit behind schedule and I really should have been looking where I was going.”

“It’s fine,” she replies, tossing her now empty coffee cup into the nearest trash can. “You just made me spill my  _ very hot  _ coffee all over my shirt. And I don’t have time to go home and change before my audition. This is great. Just great.” Of course, something like this would happen to her now that she’s finally reached a chemistry read. It’s like the universe is conspiring against her.

“Oh, wow. I’m really sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s fine.” Skye turns around to face the person who ran into her, still pulling at the fabric of her shirt. “Not really that big of a—you’re Grant Ward.” Her eyes go wide when she sees him, immediately recognizing him behind the dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

The man in front of her gives her a small chuckle as he nods. “Yeah, I am. And you are?”

“Skye. Skye Campbell, actually, but it’s just Skye when I’m acting.”

He gives her a soft smile. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Skye Campbell. Are you here for an audition for something?”

She nods. “I am. Chemistry read for the female lead in the new Shield Studios movie.”

“Oh, very cool. I’ve uh, I’ve actually been cast already as the male lead.” He leans down a bit so he’s near her ear. “But you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone. Everyone just thinks I’m still being considered for the part. Word hasn’t gotten out yet that I’ve been cast and I could possibly get into trouble for telling you.” He stands back up straight and flashes her a soft smile.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone, no matter how much my best friend bugs me.” Skye gives him a small smile. “Your secret is perfectly safe with me.”

It’s silent for a minute before Grant speaks up, “Um, did I do that?” He gestures to her coffee stained t-shirt.

She looks down at the shirt and frowns. “Oh, yeah. But it’s okay, it’s not really that big of a deal.”

“Still, I wish I could do something to help,” he tells her. “Since it’s a chemistry read, it’s more intense than just a regular audition, and there are more people watching this time around, they all want to make sure you’ll really suit the part. So walking into a chemistry read, or any audition really, while wearing a shirt stained all down the front with coffee is not exactly the first impression you want to make on the casting director and whoever else is in there.”

Skye sighs. “Yeah, I figured as much. I’ll probably just go into the bathroom and see if I can get some of it out before it’s my turn, even though there is the possibility that it’ll just make it look even worse. But it’s the best thing I can think of to do right now. Even though I was hoping to get some more practice in working on this scene, but I guess actually looking presentable in there would be the better choice.”

“Here,” he says after a quick moment, unbuttoning the long-sleeved, dark blue plaid shirt he’s wearing, revealing his plain white t-shirt underneath of it. He removes the button down and holds it out to her. “You can wear this.”

She shakes her head, holding a hand out and taking a small step back. “Oh, no. That’s your shirt. I can’t wear that.”

“I insist,” he says, holding it out further to her. 

“Oh, well uh, okay.” She takes the shirt from him with a small smile on her face. “Thanks.”

He smiles, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “It’s the least I can do.” He takes a deep breath. “Well, I better get into the room so they can start the auditions. I guess we’ll be reading together very soon, Skye Campbell.”

She smiles back. “Yeah, I guess we will be.”

Grant’s eyes linger on her for a second longer, though not in an uncomfortable way, before he walks past her and into the audition room, the door falling closed again behind him.

She watches as he leaves, letting out a breath when he’s out of sight. She turns to the chair she’d been ready to occupy and sets her things down after gathering the papers off the floor.

She quickly pulls his shirt on and takes a moment to revel in its warmth and the obvious smell of whatever cologne he’s wearing. Normally she’s not one to enjoy the smell of cologne, but this time it is not bothering her as much as it usually does.

Taking a deep breath, she sits down in the chair, pulling the script into her lap, and begins rehearsing.

Pulling his laptop into his lap, Grant flips open the lid and logs in before going to his web browser as soon as the desktop loads. Once the browser opens up, he clicks inside the address bar, types two words ‘Skye actress’ and then hits enter. There was just something about her earlier that day when they met, and now he wants to know more about her.

And yes, she gave him her full name, but there's no guarantee it'll give him anything since she said she always gets credited as just ‘Skye’ whenever she does a new project.

The search results load, showing a few different photos of her at the top of the screen. There aren’t many, and most of them seem to be personal photos, not having the professional look to them that some of his might when you search for his name. She still looks beautiful in them, though, just like the woman he saw today.

“Who are you?” he says to himself, as he scrolls down a little on the page.

“Who is who?”

Grant jumps in his seat at the voice of his best friend. He looks up to find the man standing in the doorway to his bedroom, a bowl of cereal in his hands.

“Kebo, what the hell are you doing here?”

“I was bored at my place. Figured you’d at least have food.”

Grant sighs. “Fine. How long are you going to be here?”

Kebo shrugs. “Not sure. Depends. Hannah’s out of town for a few days.”

“Right. Well, can you at least eat my cereal in the kitchen, please?”

“I guess. And who are you looking up?” he asks, gesturing to the laptop with his head.

“Oh, uh, just this girl I auditioned with today. She was really good.”

“And so you're looking her up because…”

“Because she's very talented and I think that she and I could have a good working relationship off of this, even if she doesn’t get the role in the movie.”

“Right. Well, I'll leave you to your stalking, then.” He shoves another spoonful of cereal into his mouth as he turns and walks away.

Grant sighs and shakes his head, turning and focusing on the computer screen, eager to know more about this woman.

Beneath the photos are a few different web links. He clicks on the first one, a Wikipedia page, and waits for it to load. Once it does, he lets his eyes scan over the paragraph at the top.

 

_ Skye Marie Campbell (born July 2, 1988), also known as Skye, is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in various independent films, such as ‘Mrs. Porter’, ‘Angels on Earth’, and ‘Lucky Break’. _

 

“So you’re an indie star,” he murmurs. “Interesting.”

He lets his eyes move further down the page, wanting to know more about this woman that has him completely enamored like very few ever have.

 

_ Raised in Chicago, Illinois, Skye is the only daughter, and youngest child, of Megan and Joseph Campbell. She has one older brother, Lincoln, and attended the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts after high school, graduating at the top of her class. _

 

“Went to college to study acting,” Grant says with a smile. “A girl after my own heart.”

He continues reading through the Wikipedia page on Skye, clicking on a few of the different links available as he goes. There isn’t much there since she’s an Indie star and isn’t very well known outside that community, but obviously, someone’s been keeping close enough tabs on her and her career to put all of this together.

He saves a few of the links in his bookmarks to look at later and then goes back to the Google search results page.

He clicks on the second link on the page, one for her Twitter account, opening it in a new tab, as well as the link for her Instagram account, neither of which are verified, he notices.

“Is this too creepy?” he asks himself as he switches tabs to Skye’s Twitter. He glances over at Max. “I feel like stalking her Twitter and Instagram would be too creepy. What do you think, boy?”

Max lets out a few soft barks before relaxing back into his bed.

Grant sighs, leaning back in his chair. “You’re right; it might be a little too creepy. I don’t even know her. We just met for the first time today. But I mean, as long as I make sure not to like any of her posts or follow her on them, I should be okay, right?” He looks back over to his dog. Max just continues to lie in his bed, completely ignoring Grant.

Grant lets out a groan and runs a hand down his face. “Why am I making this into such a huge deal?” he asks himself. “She might not even get the part so I shouldn’t be stressing over trying to figure her out. And even if she doesn’t get the part, that doesn’t mean I can’t still contact her and try to be friends. And it’s not like people don’t stalk other people’s Twitter and Instagram all the time. I just won’t look too far back on either of them. That could get really weird. I’ll just look at a few, that’s it.”

Turning his attention back to his computer screen, he sits up straight and begins scrolling through Skye’s Twitter feed.

 

**_@Skye:_ ** _ @CallMeBobbi You better come visit me as soon as you get a break from classes. It’s been ages. I miss your beautiful face. _

**_@Skye:_ ** _ @CallMeBobbi Thanks, pretty lady. I love you, I miss you, I wish you were here with me. _

**_@Skye:_ ** _ Actually made it to a chemistry read. A little nervous about it. But my fingers are crossed. _

**_@Skye:_ ** _ Is it just me or is Tony Stark really attractive for an older guy? _

 

Smiling to himself, Grant scrolls a little bit more through her Twitter feed, noticing many tweets to this ‘Bobbi’ person, before switching over to her Instagram.

He clicks on the first photo and then moves through them one by one, reading the attached captions as he goes.

He can’t help the smile he gets on his face when he sees the photos of her with various people she obviously cares about, as well as photos of herself, some more serious and some more goofy, but all of them beautiful.

He finally puts a face to the name when he sees a few photos of her with Bobbi, a close friend from back home according to the captions she wrote.

“This is the one,” he says quietly to himself as he leans back. “This is the girl I want in the movie. She’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

.

.

.

**kathrinaelisabeth posted**

 

_ Anybody know when Grant Ward is gonna be in another project? I feel like it’s been a while and I desperately need my fix. _

_ #grant ward #where are you? _

 

**12 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> I really hate that this site doesn't let you put the 'at' symbol in stories, because there is going to be a lot of twitter interactions in this story, so that really sucks. So for all intents and purposes, those asterisks are meant to be 'at' symbols.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya. Had some time before work so I thought I'd update.
> 
> Enjoy!

Pacing back and forth across the carpet of her bedroom, Skye bites her bottom lip between her teeth, wringing her hands together tightly as her brows furrow together. Her eyes flit occasionally over to where her cell phone sits on the small table by her door.

"Why haven't they called yet? I just need them to call me already so I can know."

"What you need is to be patient, Skye," Natasha says from her place sitting at Skye's desk. She's leaning back casually, one leg crossed over the other, an amused smile on her lips.

"Natasha's right, Skye," Bobbi says over video chat on Skye's laptop. "They'll call when they call, right?"

Skye tilts her head back and groans, briefly glancing over at the laptop set up on her desk. "Yes, I know. But they said that they'd call in a week. It's been a week, right? At least, I think it has. The days have honestly kind of been blurring together lately."

Natasha raises an eyebrow at her. "You do know that when they say a week there is usually a window of a few days for when they'll actually call you back, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. But it's making me really, really anxious," Skye complains, falling down onto her bed and covering her face with her hands. "If I didn't get the part, I just want to know about it already!"

"I'm sure you got the part," Bobbi tells her. "You're a great actress and I know for a fact they saw that in your audition. That's why you actually went in for a chemistry read this time around. I'm pretty sure we've had this discussion before when you were going in for said chemistry read so I don't see why you're still so worried about it."

"Maybe somebody else was better than I was during their chemistry read," Skye worries, completely glossing over what Bobbi said. "Maybe they thought they liked what they saw with me, but then someone else went after me and did a whole lot better."

"Well, I'm sure they're just—"

Natasha gets cut off by the loud ringtone coming from Skye's cell phone.

Skye immediately jumps into action and goes over to her phone, checking the caller ID. "It's Shield Studios!" she exclaims, immediately hitting the answer call button and holding the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" she says into the phone. "Yes, this is she." She listens intently to what the person is saying on the other end of the phone, trying to keep her breathing even and her emotions in control. "Yes. Of course. Thank you, bye." Hanging up the phone call, Skye sets her phone back down on the table and then looks up at Natasha and Bobbi, doing her best to keep a straight face.

"Well, what did they say?" Natasha asks her eagerly, sitting forward slightly in her seat.

Skye's silent for a moment longer, biting her lip between her teeth again as she wrings her hands together.

"Don't just leave us hanging here, Skye," Bobbi speaks up. "What did the studio say? Did you get the part or not?"

"I got the part," Skye tells them both, a wide grin quickly growing across her face.

"You did?" Natasha's eyes go wide, a smile starting to grow on her face as well.

Skye nods her head. "Mm-hmm. That was one of the producers for the movie, Phil Coulson, I think. He said he wanted to tell me himself instead of having someone else do it."

"Skye, that's amazing." Bobbi grins, exciting for her best friend. "This is huge news!"

Skye grins back. "I know. This is going to be one crazy, yet amazing, adventure for me."

"And you're going to completely rock this," Bobbi tells her. "As you do with every other project you're in."

"You guys really think I'll do a good job with this?" she asks, biting her lip between her teeth once again and looking between the two women.

"Of course we do," Natasha tells her. "You are very talented, and you're going to prove that to everyone who's working on this movie, as well as to everyone who's going to see it once it's finished."

"I really hope you guys are right about this."

"We are," Bobbi assures her.

Skye smiles at her best friend and then takes a deep breath. "Well, I think I'm going to call my parents and Lincoln now so I can tell them the good news."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Natasha says, standing up from her seat and grabbing her bag off the floor. "Tell them I say hello."

"Will do."

Natasha gives her a small wave as she makes her way out of the room and to the front door of the apartment, no doubt off to meet with the new mystery man in her life that she still hasn't told her anything about.

Skye turns to her laptop, sitting down in the chair and scooting to the edge of it. "What about you, Bobbi?" she asks her friend, resting her forearms against the top of the desk. "Want me to tell mom, dad, or Lincoln anything when I talk to them?"

Bobbi shakes her head. "Nah, you don't have to. I actually just saw your mom at the store yesterday and we talked then. She misses you."

"And I miss her too. But I really can't afford to fly back home all the time. And wasn't I just home for Christmas?" she asks with a slight tilt of her head.

"Yeah, but this is your mother we're talking about, Skye."

She nods with a small laugh. "Right, of course. Well, I'm going to go so I can talk to my family. I love you, and I'll talk to you soon."

Bobbi smiles. "Love you too."

Skye smiles back and then ends the FaceTime call, immediately going to her contacts to find Lincoln's name. She clicks the call button and leans back in her chair, waiting for the call to go through. She never knows if he's ever actually going to answer her calls. Sometimes he won't just to be annoying.

"There's my favorite girl." Her brother smiles through the camera when the video call connects, the video skipping for just a second as it catches up. "It's been too long."

"Pretty sure we just talked on the phone last week," she reminds him.

Lincoln shrugs. "Yeah, well." He takes a deep breath. "So what's with the call?"

"I have some really important news and I need to tell you, mom, and dad at the same time. Can you get them?"

"Yeah, one sec." Lincoln leans back in his chair and turns his head over his shoulder. "Mom! Dad! Skye's on FaceTime!"

She quirks a brow at him. "You know you could have just gotten up and gone to get them, right?"

Lincoln shrugs. "Eh."

"Well, there's our movie star."

Skye smiles at the older blonde man walking into the frame, a smile on his face when he sees her. "Hey, dad."

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm good. Where's mom?"

"Right here."

Skye's smile grows just a little at the older blonde woman stepping into the frame. "Hey, mommy."

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

"Good. I actually have something I want to tell you guys. It's pretty exciting."

"Is it actually exciting? Or are you just tricking us and it's really something completely boring that only you think is exciting?"

"Hush, Lincoln," their mom scolds him. "Let your sister speak."

Skye smiles. "Thanks, mom. Anyways, this actually  _is_  exciting stuff. I just got a call from Shield Studios and they told me that I got the lead female role in the new movie they're doing."

"Wait, aren't they one of the biggest film studios in the U.S.?" Lincoln asks her.

Skye nods. "Yeah."

"And they wanted you for their movie?"

Skye nods again. "Mm-hmm. I had a couple of regular auditions before the final chemistry read with the guy who has the lead male role. And apparently, they think that we have some kind of unique chemistry that will be great on screen or something like that. I kind of blacked out a little after they told me I got the part."

"Skye, honey, that's amazing," her mom tells her. "We're all so proud of you."

Skye beams. "Thanks. I'm really excited. But also really nervous too."

"Why?" her dad asks.

"Because I've only ever done indie films or had small parts on a few TV shows here and there since I graduated. I've never done anything this huge and so high caliber before. I'm just a little worried that I'll completely tank and the movie will flop at the box office and no one will ever want to hire me again."

"I'm sure you're going to be fine, sweetheart," her mother says. "You're a very talented actress, Skye."

"Natasha and Bobbi told me the same thing earlier."

"And you should definitely listen to them."

Skye smiles into the camera. "I promise that I will."

"So who's the male lead?" Lincoln asks. "Anyone I'm a fan of?"

She smiles apologetically. "Sorry, Linc, can't tell you that. They haven't officially released the casting info yet so I can't say anything about it to anyone."

"Well, then how do you know who it is if they haven't released the info?"

She lets a small smile grace her lips. "Because he told me. We met at the chemistry read before we went in and he told me he'd already been cast but they weren't telling anyone else yet until they cast the female lead."

"So we have to wait for the official press release to find out like everyone else? That sucks."

"That's Hollywood."

* * *

Hearing his phone ringing from its place on his desk, Grant stands from his bed and walks across the room, setting his laptop off to the side as he does. He picks up the device and glances at the screen to see the familiar number for Shield Studios written across it.

"Hello?" he says into the receiver, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Hello. Grant Ward?"

"Speaking."

"Hi, this is Phil Coulson."

"Oh, yeah, hi, Mr. Coulson. How are you?" he asks, moving back to his bed and sitting down on the edge of it.

"It's just Phil, and I'm doing very well. You?"

"Can't complain," Grant replies with a small shrug.

"Great. So I wanted to talk to you for a minute about the movie."

"What about it?"

"Well, I'm happy to say that we've finally cast your leading lady for the movie."

Grant smiles. "That's great, Phil. Who is it?"

"She's a lesser known actress, done mostly indie films in the past couple of years, but we definitely think she'll be the perfect fit for this role. Her name is Skye Campbell, though I believe she's usually billed as just 'Skye'."

Grant can't help the small smile that forms on his face at hearing the name, immediately placing the face he remembers from first meeting her. "Oh, yeah. I think I remember her."

"You do?" Phil asks him.

He rubs at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I uh, we met right before the chemistry read started, and she was one of the standouts for all the ladies I read with."

"That's great. And I'm sure she already knows who you are. We're about to call her and let her know she got the role, but I figured we'd call you first to let you know."

Grant nods. "Well I appreciate it, thank you." He shifts in his spot. "And uh, I know you guys don't typically do this, but uh, I was wondering if there's any chance you could give me her cell phone number. I just want to call her sometime in the next couple of days and congratulate her on getting the part. But I totally understand if you can't do that."

He can almost hear Phil smiling through the phone. "Well, typically we don't do that, but I'm sure I can make an exception just this once since I know you won't abuse having her information. I have a few things to take care of once I get off the phone with you, but I'll send the number to you as soon as I can."

He smiles. "Great, thanks, Phil."

"No problem. I guess I'll see you when we have our table read. Clint should be getting your full script to you soon."

"Awesome, thanks so much, Phil."

"No problem. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, bye."

"Bye."

Pulling the phone down from his ear, he ends the call and tosses it onto his bed, turning his head to look at the dog lying curled up in his own bed in the corner of the room.

"She got the part, Max," he says to his dog with a smile on his face. "The girl I told you about from the chemistry read, she got the part. I was really hoping it'd be her. I think she can definitely help make this movie into something great. I know I'm supposed to be the big star and everything, but I think this movie is seriously going to showcase her abilities. I mean, if our chemistry read was anything to go by, she's amazing. And obviously, Phil and everyone else thought so too. I don't know why she hasn't been cast in anything huge before, she's so talented." Grant pauses briefly and just watches as Max lies completely still in his bed, except for the slight wagging of his tail.

Grant sighs. "You probably don't even care about any of this, do you? What about a walk?"

Max sits up quickly at that, looking at Grant eagerly with his tail wagging behind him.

He chuckles. "I figured as much." He stands from his bed and nods his head toward the door. "Come on." He moves out of the bedroom and down the hallway toward the front door, Max trotting happily beside him.

Reaching the front door, he slips his shoes on his feet and then grabs the leash off the hook on the wall, bending down to clip it onto Max's collar, tugging on it quickly to make sure it's secure.

"Alright, boy," he says as he stands up and lets out a breath, "you ready to go?"

Max bounces slightly on his front feet and lets out a bark, eagerly trying to pull Grant toward the front door of the house. Grant laughs quietly and then reaches out to pull the front door open, grabbing his keys and shoving them into his pocket as he does.

Making his way out the door with Max, he closes and locks the door behind him, stepping down off the porch and onto the sidewalk.

Hearing his phone ringing in his pocket, he reaches in to pull it out, smiling when he sees his sisters' smiling face on the screen.

Hitting the answer button, he holds the phone up to his ear. "Hey, Mandy"

"Dougie!"

Grant winces at the shriek and then sighs. "Is that really necessary?"

"Aww, come on, Grant. You'll always be little Dougie to me. Even if you are some major Hollywood actor/heartthrob now."

Grant laughs quietly. "Thanks, Mandy."

"Anytime, baby brother. So, what's new with you? Any good projects you're working on?"

He rolls his eyes at the question. "Mandy, you know that I'm not allowed to tell you the details about what I'm working on before they're actually released."

"Don't be like that, Grant. I'm your favorite sister; I should be allowed to hear all the stuff about your upcoming projects before the rest of the world does."

"First of all, you're my only sister. Second of all, I'm sorry. I really can't tell you anything because I don't know much yet myself. They're keeping most of the information held pretty close to their chests."

"But you do know something. Because you're working on a new project that is going to be amazing."

"You don't know it'll be amazing, Mandy. It could completely tank at the box office."

"Even if it does, it'll still be amazing because you're in it."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now spill everything you can about your next project."

Grant chuckles and glances around quickly to make sure no one is within earshot. He quickly tells her the little that he knows about the project, glancing around once more to make sure that no one is around to overhear. The last thing he needs is information about the movie getting leaked because he can't deny his sister when she asks.

"This is so exciting, Dougie. Do you have a leading lady for this film? Or are you flying solo?"

"I do have a leading lady, actually," he says with a slow nod of his head. "But I don't think you'd know her."

"Why don't you tell me her name first?"

"Her name is Skye."

"Is she kinda short, long brown hair and brown eyes?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I love her."

He furrows his brows. "You know who she is?"

"Yeah. She mainly does indie films, but she's been trying to branch out and do more stuff recently. I follow her on Twitter and Instagram."

"Huh. Well, she's the female lead for the movie."

"That's so awesome, I can't wait to see how she's going to do in it. She's pretty talented from what I've seen of her. Also, she's pretty cute, so good luck not falling for her."

"I'm not going to fall for her, Mandy."

"Uh-huh. You said the exact same thing about that spazz Lorelei, and then you went and dated her."

Grant groans at the reminder of one of his more questionable choices in women. "She wasn't a spazz, Amanda; she was just a little...intense. And you know it wasn't like that at all. It was just a publicity stunt for the film."

"Yes, I know. I just love to tease you about it."

"Yeah, okay. Well, I can promise you that I'm not going to fall for Skye, okay? She's really nice, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to fall for her."

"Whatever you say, baby brother. Just know that I will not hesitate to say 'I told you so' when you inevitably fall for and marry her."

Grant smiles. "And I completely believe you. I need to go now; I think Max is getting jealous that all my attention isn't on him right now. But I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, alright. I love you."

"Love you too." Pulling the phone away from his ear, Grant hits the end call button and slides his phone back into his pocket. He looks down at his dog. "There, you happy now?" Max lets out a bark.

Grant chuckles and shakes his head. He begins walking forward. "Alright, come on. Let's finish our walk."

.

.

.

 _ **@DrLincoln:**_   _What's the point of having a famous sister if she can't give you all the top-secret details earlier than everyone else in the world gets them?_

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _DrLincoln they're TOP-SECRET for a reason, Linc. And your handle is still dumb. You're not a doctor yet._

 _ **@DrLincoln:**_  @ _Skye I will be one day._

 _ **@CallMeBobbi:**_   _You're not alone at all @DrLincoln. I thought that being friends with @Skye was going to have way more advantages and benefits than it really does._

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _CallMeBobbi @DrLincoln I hate you both._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya!
> 
> Enjoy!

Lying on her back on her bed with her knees pulled up, Skye picks up the full script for the movie that Natasha dropped off for her earlier in the day, getting ready to read through it for the first time. She takes a moment to just look at it, she didn't get a chance to earlier because she was busy with other things, but now she just takes some time to really look at it. This is the script of her, hopefully, big break, and she's going to soak it all in.

Her eyes are just starting to scan over the words written on the front of the script when her cell phone rings from beside her.

Glancing down, she sees an unknown number lighting up the lock screen. She holds the device against her ear as she answers it.

"Hello?" she says into the receiver.

"Hi. Is this Skye?"

"It is." Her brows furrow together. "Who is this?"

"This is Grant Ward. I hope you don't mind, but I asked Phil at the studio to give me your number so that I could get in touch with you before filming starts."

Skye lets a small smile grace her lips at the fact that  _Grant Ward_ is calling her right now and actually asked for her number. "No, I don't mind at all. It's perfectly fine. It's probably for the best, you know, considering we're co-stars now and everything."

"Exactly my thoughts. Speaking of which, have you seen the latest press release about the movie?"

"I think my Agent sent me a link to it a little while ago, but I haven't actually had the chance to look at it yet because I finally just got some downtime from the job I do to actually make money."

"Oh. Well, I've read through it and it's not very long, just the basic stuff. They announced you and me as the two leads, as well as a few of the other supporting actors, when filming will start, the hopeful premiere date, and I think a very basic premise of the movie."

"Hmm. That must be why I started gaining a bunch of new followers on Twitter and Instagram," she muses aloud.

"Probably," Grant replies. He sighs. "I remember what that was like."

Skye rolls her eyes and lets out a small laugh. "Oh, I'm sure you do."

He chuckles. "I do. It's pretty crazy to think that so many people around the world are going to be following you and your career so closely now, huh?"

She sucks in a breath. "Yeah. Just a little bit."

"Well don't worry about it too much, alright? It gets much easier to handle all of this over time. Pretty soon it won't even faze you anymore. You'll be a pro."

Skye smiles. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it until it happens."

"Yes, I suppose so. I'm always happy to help out a fellow castmate. So, are you excited about the table read coming up?"

"Very," Skye replies. "This is the first big movie that I'm doing so I'm getting really excited for everything that encompasses it."

"Well that is a very good thing," Grant says to her. "And I promise I will try and make this table read as painless as possible for you."

She smiles. "I really appreciate that, thanks." There's a brief pause before Skye speaks up again, "Well, uh, I should probably go now," she tells him. "Going to read through the script so I actually know the whole story before we go in."

"Right, of course. I'll let you go. See you at the table read."

"Yeah, see ya."

Hanging up the call, Skye quickly saves the new number into her contacts, 'Grant Ward', before going into her text messages and finding the link from Natasha for the press release. She taps on the link, letting it open up in a web browser, and then quickly skims through the short article.

She smiles to herself as her name is listed, along with Grant's, as one of the stars of the movie.

Copying the link from the address bar, she switches over to Twitter to send it out with a message to her followers, both old and new.

 _ **@Skye:**_   _Finally got around to reading this. Very excited to be a part of this exciting adventure. First time doing a movie of this caliber, can't wait for all that's ahead of me. :)_

She quickly finds the verified account for the movie, giving it a follow and then sending out another message.

 _ **@Skye:**_   _Also, be sure to follow @SecretWarMovie so you can stay up to date with all the news and happenings in real time. :)_

A few seconds after sending out the tweet, she checks her notifications to see so many more than she's ever received before. There's also more follows to her account. She can't help but smile to herself. This is really happening for her. It's not just in her head.

Multiple notifications catch her eye and she stops to look at them, seeing that they're from Grant; he followed her and then quoted her first tweet while adding his own comment to it.

 _ **@IMGrantWard:**_   _Not my first time doing a movie of this caliber, but I am also very excited about this new project. Also excited to show all the inner workings of Hollywood to a newbie such as yourself. :)_

Skye just laughs quietly and hits reply.

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _IMGrantWard Seriously? I'm not that much of a newbie. I've done some smaller things, just nothing this huge._

 _ **@IMGrantWard:**_  @ _Skye Exactly the reason why I'm going to show you the inner workings of this industry._

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _IMGrantWard you can't see me, but I'm actually rolling my eyes at you right now._

 _ **@IMGrantWard:**_  @ _Skye I'm sure you are._

* * *

Taking a moment to gather her nerves together before shutting off the engine completely, Skye grabs her things and steps out of the car, shoving her car keys into the outside pocket of her bag. She makes sure to lock her car before heading inside the building, her heart racing inside her chest.

When she gets to the main lobby, she walks straight up to the receptionist desk. "Hello," she says with a small smile, already going for her ID, "I'm here for—"

The woman behind the desk holds up a pointed finger, cutting Skye off. The woman is having a conversation on the phone and not paying Skye any attention.

She drops her smile, narrows her eyes, and tries again, shifting a little on her feet. "Excuse me. Could you please—"

The woman holds up the same finger to cut Skye off again.

Skye's eyes widen and she's about ready to tell the woman off for being so rude when she hears a familiar voice behind her.

"Hey, you."

Turning around, the smile returns to her face when she sees Grant walking toward her with a small smile of his own on his face. "Hey yourself."

"So, Rookie," he starts as he stops in front of her.

She tilts her head and furrows her brows at him. "I'm sorry, did you just call me 'Rookie'?"

He nods his head. "I did. Because that's what you are. You're a Rookie when it comes to all of this. And it sounds a lot better than 'newbie'."

She blinks. "Um, okay."

"So, Rookie," he repeats, "are you ready for the table read?"

"Well, I would be if this lady—" she jerks her thumb toward the desk "—would get off her phone and talk to me."

"Yeah, I remember what that's like. Hang on a second." He turns toward the desk and leans forward, throwing a flashy smile at the woman. Skye has to keep herself from snorting in amusement. "Hi there," he says to the red-headed woman.

She smiles up at him and then ends her call, setting the phone back in its cradle and smiling brightly up at Grant. She leans forward on her arms ever so slightly, not being subtle at all in trying to show off her cleavage. But Grant's eyes never once leave the woman's face. "How can I help you, sugar?"

"Well, Carrie, my friend and I are here for a table read for the new Shield Studios movie. Could you let us through, please?"

"I'll just need to see your ID's first," she tells them.

"Oh, of course." He reaches into his back pocket for his wallet, pulling it out and then sliding his ID out of the small pocket. Skye hands hers over to him when he holds his hand out and watches as he hands them over to Carrie.

The other woman takes both ID's and taps a few times on her computer before handing the ID's back over with a bright smile. "Grant Ward, I can't believe I didn't recognize you."

"It's alright," he says. "I don't blame you."

The woman giggles and Skye has to stop herself from laughing again. Can this woman be any more obvious?

There's a quiet buzzing and then a set of double doors just off to the side opens up, offering them entrance to the long hallway.

Grant turns toward Skye and holds his hand out in front of them in the direction of the double doors. He smiles at her as he hands her ID back. "After you."

"Why thank you." She smiles back, stepping past him and through the doors, taking her ID from him and sliding it back into her bag as she goes.

He follows right behind her, the two of them talking to each other as they make their way to the correct room.

"Okay, but that was kind of amazing back there," Skye tells him as they walk down the long corridor. "You have to teach me your ways."

He chuckles. "I mean...it's kind of my natural charm, I guess."

She snorts. "Natural charm. Sure. It's like you flipped a switch in there or something. One minute you're just acting all dorky and whatever, and the next you're acting like this total heartthrob. Like, there was no thought involved in that whatsoever."

He shrugs. "I guess I've just done it enough that it comes so naturally."

She smirks. "Or it's because it's been programmed into you, like a robot." She gasps playfully. "Are you secretly a robot?"

He laughs. "What?"

"I mean, some people say that all Hollywood actors are essentially robots anyway, so it's not that far of a stretch. And I'm pretty sure you played a robot once very early on in your career. Was that actually your life story as a robot put on film?"

He groans. "I cannot believe you've seen that."

She laughs. "Please, anyone who's a crazy loyal fan of yours has seen that."

He smirks. "So you're a crazy loyal fan, then?"

She shakes her head. "My  _best friend_ is a crazy loyal fan. I was kind of dragged into it by her."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself."

"Shut up." She rolls her eyes, reaching out to shove his shoulder, eliciting a quiet laugh from him.

"So, be honest with me, how are you feeling right now?" Grant asks her after a quiet minute.

She takes a deep breath. "Part of me still thinks that this a dream and I'm going to wake up any minute now back in my room, getting ready to make another indie film while living paycheck to paycheck. And it's not that I have anything against indie films, I've done quite a few of them and have met some really great people on those projects, like my boyfriend. I just want to branch out, you know? I want to see what else I'm capable of."

Grant smiles down at her. "I think that's really great."

"You do?" she asks.

He nods. "Absolutely. I think it's great that you want to branch out, try new roles. That's a really great trait to have in this business. Just don't try to take on too much at any one point. Or if you don't think you can handle a role, or you simply don't want to do it, don't be afraid to say no."

"Really?"

"Yeah. While there are some casting directors who don't really like that, most of them really admire it when actors have standards and things like that and aren't afraid to stand up for themselves and what they will or won't do and won't be pushed around."

She smiles. "Well, that's really good to know."

"I thought so. It's like I said on Twitter, I'm going to do my best to make sure I teach you everything that I know about being in this business. Because it definitely isn't easy. And now here we are." He stops and gestures to the large double doors in front of them.

Skye faces the doors fully and takes a deep breath in, squaring her shoulders. "Let's do this."

Grant smiles and reaches forward, grabbing the handle of one of the doors and pulling it open, allowing Skye to step through in front of him.

"Wow," Skye says once she steps into the large room and looks all around her. There are multiple long tables set up in a rectangle with chairs surrounding the outside of it; folded name cards are sitting in front of each chair, containing the names of the main actors, the director, the writers, producers, and a few others. People are milling about the room, talking and laughing with one another, a few of the people getting themselves situated in their respective seats.

"Come on, let's go find our seats," Grant tells her, stepping up beside her. "My best guess is that we're going to be next to each other, considering we're the two leads."

Skye nods. "Right, yeah, that makes sense." She follows Grant around the room, greeting a few of the people she passes by, meeting more of the cast and crew.

"You must be Skye."

"Um, you know me?" she asks the tall African American man in front of her, the gears in her head starting to turn, thinking she recognizes the man from somewhere. She just can't quite figure out from where.

"Everybody knows who you are now, girl."

"Right, of course they do. I keep forgetting that. Still getting used to the fact that more people are watching my every move now."

The man smiles. "I get it. Took me a while to get used to all of that after I booked my first big movie role as the ever so handsome Dante Marlowe, once upon a time."

Skye's eyes go wide when the information clicks together in her head. "You're Antoine Triplett. Oh, wow. I can't believe I didn't recognize you immediately. I love all of your movies."

He chuckles quietly. "Please, call me Trip, all my friends do."

"We're friends now? Wow. This is so crazy."

Trip laughs again. "I like you. I think making this movie is definitely going to be a lot of fun."

"Of course it'll be fun, Trip," Grant tells the other man with a small smile as he claps him on the back. "Making a movie usually is. Don't you remember that movie we shot on location in Africa a few years back?"

Trip groans. "I am never letting you talk me into something like that again."

"What?" Skye asks. "What happened?"

Trip shakes his head when he sees Grant go to open his mouth. "No. That is a story I do not want to be told. Ever. My head hurts just thinking about how hungover we got that night."

"But we did have some good times there," Grant reminds him.

Trip sighs. "Yes, we did. I'm gonna go find my seat now before Grant decides to bring up any more embarrassing stories about the two of us working together. It was really great meeting you, Skye."

She smiles softly. "You too." She spins to Grant when Trip walks away. "You and Trip seem close," she says.

He shrugs. "Out of everyone that's in the industry, I've probably known him the longest. We've done a few projects together over the years. He's a good guy. And by that, I mean he actually  _is_  one of the good guys in Hollywood. Not just the kind where you say they're one of the good guys and they turn out to be slime. Trip's a real gentleman."

"He definitely seems like it."

The two of them turn around and begin making their way through the room again, around the outside of the table, searching for the placards with their respective names on them.

"Ah, here we go." Grant stops and turns to face one of the tables.

Skye stops right next to him. "That's my name." She gets a little breathless at the sight of the small paper placard sitting on the table in front of her containing her name, as well as her character's name, typed across the front of it.

"And there's my name." Grant points to his placard that sits right next to hers, showing his own name and his character's name as well. "Is this your first time having a placard at a table read?"

"Never been to a professional table read before, so yeah."

He smiles at her. "Well, now you have your first placard."

She smiles back. "Yes, I do. Which means it needs to be documented." She quickly pulls her cell phone out of her bag and unlocks it, going straight into Instagram. She positions the camera at an angle so she gets the placard and the very top of the script that she had set there upon finding her spot.

_My very first name placard. Things are getting real up in here, you guys. :) #SecretWarFireandEarth #SecretWarMovie #daisyjohnson #thatsmyname #onaplacard #itsofficial_

Hitting the share button, after tagging the movie's official Instagram account in the corner of the photo, she waits for a moment before closing out of the app and locking her phone again.

"You good now?" Grant asks her with a small smile, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

She smiles and nods. "Yep. Just letting the moment sink in."

"Okay everyone," the director says as he enters the room. "I think we're all here now. If everyone can find their seats we can go ahead and get started with the table read for  _Secret War: Fire and Earth_."

.

.

' **SECRET WAR' OFF TO A SUPER START**

**Cameras haven't even started rolling yet on this much-anticipated film from Shield Studios, but that hasn't stopped the fans from talking.**

**Not long after the press release for the movie came out, one of the two leads of the film, indie-film star, Skye, tweeted out, saying how she's excited about this movie and can't wait to get started on production. Shortly after her tweet, her costar for the film, Grant Ward, replied to her, saying that he too is excited and is going to show her how Hollywood really works.**

**If their first interaction online is any indication, then this movie is definitely going to be a great one, and the chemistry between these two is already off the charts.**

**There's no doubt that we're all in for a treat where these two are concerned.**

.

.

.

_**agenthaywood posted** _

_Aaaand I'm done. I'm already so deep in the trash can for these two and all we have from them is a twitter convo._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #I'm trash #why do I let these things happen to me #someone help #i need photos of them on set together #right now #someone give it to me #i need it yesterday_

_**25 notes** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow Americans out there. I'm back again with a new chapter for ya! Now we're getting into the movie actually being made. So be ready for some fun stuff. Again, I don't know much about the film-making industry, just from what I've seen and read about. So cut me a little slack as we go forward. I'm doing my best.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Well, who's this handsome guy?"

Grant looks up from the open book in his lap to see Skye stepping up into the hair and makeup trailer, a travel mug of coffee in her hand and a messenger bag of sorts swung over her shoulder. Her hair is pulled up into a loose, messy bun on top of her head and she's wearing sweatpants and an old, faded concert t-shirt.

He follows her line of sight to see her looking directly at Max, the German Shepard's head now lifted at hearing the new voice approaching them.

He looks back up at Skye and smiles, reaching down to run one hand through Max's fur. "This is Max. I've had him since he was a puppy."

"Hi there, Max," she says, setting her things down on one of the empty chairs and approaching the dog, slowly getting down into a crouch in front of him. She reaches a hand out to the dog and Grant holds his breath.

Max can be known to be a bit testy with new people he meets, no matter the mood he's in. He'll usually warm up to someone after a while of being around them, but upon the first meet, it's either a hit or miss, there is no in-between. Except for with Kebo, but that's a whole other story entirely. He's just really hoping that this time it isn't a miss.

He can't just not bring Max to set if he and Skye don't get along. He could always leave Max in his trailer all day so he and Skye wouldn't cross paths. But can he really do that to his best friend? Max is used to being able to walk around whatever set he's working on at any particular time. It'd be wrong to force the dog to stay cooped up all day.

Light laughter pulls him out of his thoughts and he focuses on the sight in front of him, a smile tugging at his lips. Skye is sitting on the floor with Max, the German Shepard's front legs are resting up on her shoulders and her head is thrown back in laughter as Max licks at her face.  
"He likes you."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out by the licking attack to my face," she remarks teasingly. She shifts on the floor and carefully removes Max's legs from her body, setting his paws back on the floor. She rubs affectionately at the dog's head, kissing the top of his nose. "You are such a sweet boy, Max. The sweetest boy in the entire world."

"He doesn't normally react to people like that," he tells her honestly, sitting up a little more in his seat and leaning on the armrest. "You should feel pretty lucky right now."

She looks up at him, still running her fingers through Max's fur. "Yeah?"

He nods. "Yeah. Usually, he's a bit more hesitant whenever he meets new people. You're one of the rare few who gets that kind of greeting your first time meeting each other."

She smiles. "Well, now I definitely do feel special."  
"Good. I'm glad. And just so you're aware, now that Max has seemed to take such a liking to you, he'll probably try and follow you around set or be near you every chance he gets."

She smiles at the dog. "Well, I'm certainly not opposed to that. You wanna hang out with me on set, Max? Does that sound like fun to you?"

Grant watches with a small smile as Skye continues to fawn over his dog, talking softly to the Shepherd and running her fingers through his fur over and over. He knows without a doubt that Max loves every ounce of attention he's receiving from the brunette.

Grabbing his phone off the table in front of him, he quickly opens up his camera and centers Skye and Max in the shot. Their noses are pressed together and Skye has crinkles at the corners of her eyes and the edges of her lips are turned up.

"Skye," he says after snapping the photo.

She glances up at him. "Yeah?"

"Want me to send this to you?" He turns the phone so she can look at the image on the screen.

Her smile instantly widens. "Yes, please. That's so perfect. I think I may have just found my new wallpaper," she says, looking back at Max and rubbing his head again. "What do you think, boy? Wanna be the background on my cell phone forever and ever?"

He laughs quietly, immediately sending the photo to Skye before locking his phone again and setting it on the counter in front of him. He leans back in his chair and then continues watching Skye interact with his dog.

"You're lucky you're not in your costume yet," he tells her with an amused smile. "They'd probably come very close to murdering you for getting dog hair on your wardrobe."

"Very lucky indeed," she replies, dropping another kiss to the top of Max's head. "I'm going to have to force myself not to hang out with Max while I'm in my costume."

"Oh, you can hang out with him, just don't do what you're doing right now, hugging him and letting him climb on you. That's a sure-fire way to get dirt and dog hair on your costume and have the wrath of the costume designer turned on you. You never want to ruin a costume if you can help it. One of the most important things you should remember. Always do your best to keep your costume intact. Accidents on set happen, that's a given, but don't put yourself in situations where the costumes have a higher chance of getting ruined if you can avoid it."

She nods once. "Got it." She shifts against the floor and tilts her head while looking at him.

"What?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing. I just feel like I should write your rules down."

He rolls his eyes at her remark. "They're not rules, Skye. Just some friendly tips on how to survive this crazy life."

"Right. Well, I still feel like I should write them down somewhere."

"Do what you want," he tells her. "I'm just offering you some friendly advice that I wish someone had given me when I started out. And it's not really that hard to remember what I advise you to do or not do."

"Well, some of us aren't lucky enough to have everything just programmed into our operating software."

Grant sighs. "Still with the robot jokes then, I see."

"Always with the robot jokes," she replies with a cheeky smile.

Grant just laughs quietly and shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and pulling his book open again to continue reading right as the hair and makeup department arrive.

.

.

.

"So is Max really okay being left in your trailer all day while you're filming?" Skye asks as they make their way toward their first set of the day, dressed up in their costumes and makeup for the particular scene they'll be shooting soon.

He nods, waving to a crew member as they pass by. "Yeah. Like I said earlier, I've had him since he was a puppy and I've always taken him to set with me. At first, he would just hang out with whoever was able to watch him for me while I was filming, but as time went on and he got familiar to the environment of being on a set, it got easier to leave him alone in my trailer. And he knows how to open the door so sometimes he'll wander around by himself. But he always finds his way back to the trailer before the day's out. Even if he's never been to a certain set before, he's always able to find his way around pretty quickly."

"That must have been cute," she says with a smile, "having him with you on set when he was super tiny." She laughs quietly at the images she produces in her mind of a big, muscular Grant Ward carrying a tiny, fluffy puppy around in his arms for hours on end.

"All the women I worked with certainly got a kick out of it. Even if Max wasn't the friendliest toward them."

"Am I really the only person he doesn't hate besides you?"

He shakes his head. "Not really, no. He likes my sister and my nephews and a few others. He's pretty hesitant around most people and has a love-hate relationship with my best friend, but I guess there's just something special about you that he likes." He smiles at her.

She smiles back at him. "Yeah, I guess so."

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.

.

Approaching the Scotsman on the set, Skye takes a deep breath before she reaches him, doing her best to calm her nerves. It's not like he's as huge a star as Grant is, but he still has a fairly good following, especially in the UK where he got his start in acting before moving over permanently to the States. Either way, she's definitely a little nervous.

"Hey, you're Leo Fitz, right?" she speaks up somewhat quietly, not wanting to startle him. "I remember seeing you at the table read but we didn't really get a chance to talk that day."

He turns toward her and blinks a couple of times. "Oh, um, yeah, I remember you as well. And you can just call me Fitz. No one really calls me Leo 'cept my mum," he tells her with a small smile.

She nods. "Right. Well, I'm really looking forward to working with you, Fitz. I remember you were on that one show a few years ago after you moved to the States and I'm gonna admit it, I was kind of obsessed. You were great on it."

He smiles. "Thanks. That was a fun one to work on."

"Certainly seemed like it. Is it different working on a movie than it was working on a show?"

Fitz shrugs. "A little, I guess. This is actually the first film I've done, so I don't really know yet. The production time will definitely be different, I know that. But I assume it's the same basic principles of making a show. Just with a few tweaks here and there."

"Yeah, probably. Are you excited, though? About doing this?"

Fitz nods. "I am, yeah. When I was reading the script I knew right away I wanted to play Felix."

"Well, if the table read was anything to go by, then I think you're perfect for the part. First time I read the script, some of the lines weren't really that funny, but then when you read them, holy crap, instantly ten times funnier."

"Well I'm glad I could amuse you," he says with a small smile.

"Me too. And I'm really looking forward to working with you more."

"Likewise."

.

.

.

Falling down onto her bed after a long day of work, Skye lets out a heavy sigh, completely exhausted from her day on set. It was only their first day of filming but they definitely aren't pulling any punches in the pace of it all. The producers don't want to fall behind in production, and she doesn't blame them.

She's heard plenty of horror stories from various people of movie productions that have fallen behind and she does not want their own movie to fall into that particular category.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket she goes straight into her messages and opens the one between her and Grant, smiling at the photo he sent her earlier that morning in the make-up trailer.

Opening up the photo on Instagram, she quickly bypasses the filters and taps directly inside the caption box, before tagging Grant in the photo and sharing it to her social media.

_Fell in love today.  
_ _#myheart #ilovethisdogmorethanilovelife_

After it posts, she scrolls through her feed, liking the occasional photo as she goes, leaving a comment on a few of them.  
A little while later, she sees a new notification appear, letting her know that Grant left a comment on her photo.

 _ **IMGrantWard:**_   _Max misses you. I think he's having withdrawals._

She smiles at the comment, before writing out a reply.

_**SkyesTheLimit** _ _: IMGrantWard I think I'm having withdrawals from him too._

Closing out of the app after she finishes scrolling through her feed, she sets her phone aside and begins getting herself ready for bed. She's got another long day of filming tomorrow, and she wants to be as well-rested as she can possibly get.

Her phone chimes before she can get too deep into her slumber and she looks over to find a new text from Grant.

Quickly unlocking the message, she laughs quietly to herself when she reads over it.

**My best friend saw the picture of you and Max and was very upset by it. He's known Max for years and he never acts like that with him.**

_Well, that certainly sucks for him, then, doesn't it?_

**Yes, it does.  
** **I'll let you sleep now. I'm pretty tired myself. See you in the morning, though.**

_Yeah, see you.  
_.

.

.  
 _ **@AnnikaDavila:**_   _Seeing Skye with Grant Ward's dog is my new favorite thing. I need more. Now!  
_.

_._

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_So...really question here: did she actually fall in love with the dog, or was that just an act to make us all think that she didn't really fall in love with Grant Ward? I can't be the only one thinking it._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #my precious children #crazier things have happened #that's all I'm saying_

**12 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! It's been about two weeks, I know, but I've been really busy with work lately and also with some other fics that I've been writing for a different fandom. But I'm back. This one doesn't really get into any plot, really, but it kinda does, I think.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hey, Skye!" Grant calls out to his co-star standing just a few feet away talking with one of the extras from the scene they just recently finished filming. He's glad that she seems to have taken so well to set life on a movie. There's no guarantee when someone books a role on their first movie how that they'll handle everything so well. But she's taking it all in stride and doing fairly well. She's even going so far as to actually spend some time with the extras, which not a lot of actors will do. He applauds her for it.

He waits until she looks at him and then waves her over to where he is, shifting a little in his seat to get more comfortable.

"What's up?" Skye asks him a minute later when she reaches his side. She falls down into her own chair next to his, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face.

He smiles slyly. "Want to make all the fans go completely crazy?"

She smiles back just as slyly. "Well, I think that depends on what exactly you have in mind."

"Post a picture of the two of us with a random caption," he suggests. "I have a lot of followers on Twitter and Instagram and I can guarantee you that most, if not all, of them, are going to flip out when they see it."

"In a good way?" she asks.

"Well, I would certainly hope so. But you can never truly tell with these people. Some of them get super crazy and excited, others get weirdly jealous and territorial."

"Let's do it."

"Awesome." He unlocks his phone, already in his Instagram app, and hits the new photo button at the bottom, not having to wait long for the camera to load.

When it does, he flips the camera around and then holds it up so he and Skye are centered in the middle of the screen. Their faces are pressed against each other, both of them smiling wide. He really hopes Skye doesn't notice the way his breath catches when she leans against him.

Clearing his throat as casually as possible, he taps the capture button and waits for a second as it takes the picture.

Once it does, he pulls his phone down to look at the photo. "Perfect." He smiles up at Skye. "Now to just add a clever caption to our photo." He hits the Next button and then taps inside the caption box. "Hmm...how about this one," he says as he begins typing. " _Only a few days in and I can already tell things are going to be pretty awful and boring on set with this girl. #SecretWarFireandEarth #SecretWarMovie #daisyjohnson #jtjames_ What do you think?" he asks Skye, tilting the phone so she can see the screen.

Skye smiles. "Funny." She shifts in her chair. "After you post that one, let's take a different one for mine."

"Sounds like a plan," he says, tagging her in the photo on her face and then hitting the buttons to share the photo to his Twitter account. Once done, he hits the central Share button and waits for a moment as the image uploads to his account.

"Okay," Skye says to him once he locks his phone and sets it in his lap, "my turn. But you have to make a crazy face in this one."

"Geez, so demanding and bossy," he teases.

"And don't you forget it," she tells him, pulling her phone out to hold it up in front of them, leaning her face close to Grant's. She gets a small frown on her face as Grant crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue. Capturing the photo, Skye pulls her phone down and looks at the picture she took. Smiling, she hits the Next button and then taps inside the caption box.

"Time for a clever caption. How about,  _My first big movie and I got stuck with the most unattractive costar I've ever had. Figures. #SecretWarFireandEarth #SecretWarMovie #daisyjohnson #jtjames_ You like?" She turns her phone so he can see the picture and caption.

He chuckles and nods. "I like."

"Cool."

Grant smiles as he watches her tap away at her phone. "Now we just have to wait for the fans to go crazy," he tells her.

"How long do you think that'll take?" Skye asks him as she leans back in her chair and scrolls through her Instagram feed.

"Probably not long," he tells her with a small shrug. "Some fans stay extremely updated on these kinds of things, so it probably won't take too long for them to see the photo and make comments."

"You are very right," Skye says, her eyes fixed on the screen of her phone. "There are already a ton of likes and comments on my photo. Some of these are pretty funny too."

"Like what?" he asks, leaning over on the arm of his chair to see her photo.

"This one says ' _omg omg omg I can't wait for this movie. You guys look so cute together!'._ Then there's ' _perfect costars are perfect. Getting excited.'_ This one just says ' _#relationshipgoals'_. I want to read through them all but there's so many," she tells him as she continues to scroll, liking a few of the funnier comments.

"Oh, I'm sure they're all about the same basic caption," he tells her, leaning back in his seat again. "And they are probably the ones that simply have emojis, either a smiling face or one that's the heart eyes or even just a heart."

She looks up at him. "You seem like you have a pretty good idea about what these fans are like."

"It's like I've said before. I am  _very_ well versed in almost every aspect of this business, and that includes the fans. And I'm making it part of my job to make sure you become very well versed as well so you're prepared for almost any situation this life can throw at you nor that you're in the big leagues."

"And you've done a pretty good job about that so far," she assures him.

He smiles. "I'm glad to hear it. Before you know it, you'll be an expert in all things Hollywood."

She smiles back. "Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it."

"Grant! Skye! You're needed on set!"

"Coming!" they both shout in the direction of the movie's A.D.

Grant looks back at Skye. "You ready for the next scene?"

She stands from her chair and begins walking backward toward the set with a smile on her face. "Oh, I'm more than ready. Question is, are you ready?"

Grant just chuckles and stands from his chair, sliding his phone back into the side pocket, and follows quickly after Skye.

.

.

.

**SPARKS FLYING FOR SKYEWARD?**

_Although principal photography has only just begun on Shield Studios' latest project, 'Secret War: Fire and Earth', the two leads for the film, Grant Ward and Skye, had their first interaction online via Twitter, stating how excited they both were to work together. Now they've given the fans a little look behind the scenes, each posting a photo with the other, giving it a cute caption with the same hashtags.  
_ _If their first interaction and these photos are anything to go by, then this movie really is going to be a great one.  
_ _Leave a comment below with your thoughts on this recent development and how excited you are for this movie, as well as more from this new pair._

Letting out a sigh as he gets to the bottom of the article, Grant runs a hand down his face. He almost forgot for a moment that there's no escaping the media's constant need to think he's in a relationship with almost every female he's seen with online or in person. There was even an awkward one where the media thought he was dating his own sister. Talk about widely misinterpreted.

Picking up his cell phone off his desk in front of him, Grant goes into the favorites section of his contact list and taps on Skye's number, teasingly labeled as 'Rookie', for a phone call. He holds the phone up to his ear and leans back, waiting for her to answer.

"Hello?"

"Skye, hey," he says into the receiver, standing up from his chair and moving to lie down on his bed, folding one arm underneath his head.

"Hey," she says back. "What's up?"

"Well, I was just calling to see if you saw the latest."

"The latest what?" she asks.

"Gossip."

"What gossip?"

He takes a deep breath. "People, mainly the fans, think that you and I are...dating. Or they really want us to date."

"What?! Why would they think we're dating or even want us to date?"

"Because of the pictures we posted on Instagram," he explains. "And because we spend so much time together."

"We're working on a movie!"

He nods. "I know that, and you know that. But the fans can be a little much sometimes. You give them a simple photo of two co-stars hanging out and they will latch onto it like crazy and come up with the wildest theories. They think so much into things like this. Over the years I've learned to just roll with the punches, though."

"Well you may have learned to roll with it, but I'm still new to all of this. And I have a boyfriend already. A boyfriend that I love, by the way."

He nods his head. "I know that. But the fans probably don't. Or they're just choosing to ignore that fact and are trying to figure out how and when we got together."

"But we didn't!" Skye exclaims, sounding exasperated. "You and I aren't dating!"

He chuckles. "I know, Skye, I know. And like I said, these fans are relentless. They'll do anything they can think of to find out if you and I are actually together." He pauses. "They even gave us a ship name already."

"They did?"

"Yeah."

"Um, okay. And what is this ship name that they have bestowed upon us?"

"Skyeward," he tells her.

"Skyeward," she tests out the name on her lips. "Huh. That's actually not too terrible sounding."

"Right? The fans might be a little crazy sometimes but they sure are creative."

"Speaking of the fans; is it possible to just ignore them about this whole non-existent relationship thing between us?" Skye asks him.

"Well we can certainly try that," Grant tells her. "I don't know how well it'll work, though, but I guess it never hurts to try."

"Then that's what we're going to do. If either of us ever gets any questions about our relationship, we respond with we're just friends and co-stars, or we ignore the question altogether and try to move on from it."

Grant nods his head. "Sounds like a solid plan, Rookie."

"Yes, it does." She takes a deep breath. "Now, I have to go, because I have a date with my actual boyfriend tonight and I need to finish getting ready for it."

"Right, of course. I'll see you on Monday?"

"Yep. Bye."

"Bye."

Pulling his phone away from his ear, Grant ends the call and holds the device in his hand, just staring up at the ceiling for a while. Thinking about anything and everything that comes into his mind. Skye seems to be the one thing that's constantly popping up no matter where he tries to steer his thoughts.

After a moment he sets the phone aside and looks over at Max. "Skyeward," he says simply. "It's a pretty good one, huh? Better than that really weird sounding one some of the fans came up with when I was with Lorelei. And you know what, boy? If Skye and I were ever to get married, her name would actually be Skye Ward." He lets out a small laugh. "But that's most likely never going to happen. She has a boyfriend and I don't think I'd want to risk ruining our friendship or make things awkward if we ever work together again after this movie."

He sighs. "Life is a mess, boy," he says to his dog. "A crazy, weird, unavoidable mess. You're lucky you're a dog and don't have to worry about this stuff."

Max lets out a bark.

Grant laughs quietly and turns his attention back to his phone. He unlocks it and goes straight into Instagram, needing something to pass the time.

He scrolls a bit through his home feed once it loads, liking the occasional photo from friends or family, leaving a few comments here and there.

One update catches his eye, it's one from Skye. It's a picture of her with a man he's never seen before, their two faces side by side as they smile. She looks a lot younger in the photo than she does now and he can't help but smile. He scrolls down a little further to read her caption.

_An oldie but still a goodie. Me and my very wonderful and amazing BOYFRIEND from back when we first met, to (hopefully) dispel any rumors that I'm dating my costar._

Tapping twice on the image to like it, he continues to scroll through his feed as he leans back, a deep sigh being released from his lungs. Yes indeed, life is a crazy mess.

.

.

.

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _Dead. I am dead. Skyeward has killed me. Those pictures. How can two people possibly be so hot and so dorky at the same damn time?! I don't understand it!_

_._

_._

**kathrinaelisabeth posted:**

_Okay, but don't look at these photos and tell me with a straight face that there isn't some kind of tension there between these two._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #my precious children #i can't handle them anymore_

**12 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Got a familiar-ish face in this chapter for you. Can't exactly remember if I put him in any of the previous chapters (I don't think I did), so here you go.
> 
> Enjoy!

"It's official, I quit."

Skye lets out a frustrated huff of air as she falls down into one of the empty chairs in the makeup trailer, dropping her bag onto the floor and leaning back in her chair. Her hair hangs down over the back, her eyes closing as she does her best to let her body relax.

"What?"

She doesn't move from her position, simply tilts her head to look over at Grant with a deep frown. "I quit, Grant. I quit being famous. I quit everything."

"Why? What happened?" he asks with furrowed brows, shifting in his seat.

"The fans," she explains, pulling herself up into a seated position. "The fans happened, Grant. They keep pestering me online about our relationship status." She emphasizes her statement with an emphatic gesture between the two of their bodies.

"We're just friends," he says.

She throws her hands up and rolls her eyes. "Well, duh, I know that. I was just kind of hoping that  _they_  knew that too, considering I even posted a photo of me and my boyfriend the other day. But that obviously didn't do anything to deter them because it just keeps happening. I haven't replied to any of their comments or messages, though, because I figure if I ignore them long enough, it'll all just go away. Just like you suggested I do."

He smiles. "Actually, I'm pretty sure you're the one who suggested that."

She waves him off and shakes her head. "It doesn't really matter who suggested it now. Just that it's not working at all how I had hoped it would and I don't think it's going to get better anytime soon. Everything is going to go to pure hell."

Okay, so maybe she's being a tad bit dramatic about the whole thing, but she just wants to focus on her career, not worry about a relationship that only exists in the delusional minds of ten to fourteen-year-olds. She remembers being that age...yikes. It was just an awkward time all around. No one is comfortable at that age.

"How has your boyfriend been handling the whole thing? It can't be easy to see all that stuff about your own girlfriend in the media."

She's pulled from her thoughts by Grant's voice. She looks over at him, shifting to get more relaxed in her chair, and lets out a sigh with a tiny smile.

"Thankfully I got blessed with one of the good ones and he is being very calm and understanding about this whole thing. He knows that there's absolutely nothing going on between me and you and that I'm all about him."

Grant smiles. "Well, that's very good."

She breathes out. "Yeah, it is. And he's actually going to stop by the set today for lunch."

"Oh, cool. I'll finally get to meet him."

She furrows her brows at the statement. "Wait. You haven't met him yet?"

He shakes his head. "Nope."

"Huh, that's weird. I could have sworn you two have already met each other." Or maybe the days of filming are starting to blend together and she can't keep things straight anymore.

"Pretty sure I'd remember meeting the boyfriend of the woman I'm rumored to be dating."

"Well then, I'll be sure that you two officially meet today."

Grant smiles. "I'm looking forward to it."

The door of the trailer opens and the makeup and hair teams walk in, immediately getting to work on Grant's and Skye's makeup for their first scene of the day after exchanging pleasantries.

Skye relaxes even more into her chair as the ladies begin their work, letting her problems wash away, even if it's only temporarily.

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.

.

"Ooh, yeah, I love how that bit came out. Way better than I thought it would."

"Same here. It was really well handled in every aspect. I'm just a little worried about the blocking for the next scene. I feel like it's going to get too muddled up or something."

She tilts her head in thought. "Yeah, maybe. But I think that if we just ta—"

A knock on her trailer door pulls Skye's attention away from her conversation with Grant about the scenes they're rehearsing and filming later that day after lunch is over. She turns her head toward the door as she sets the pages in front of her off to the side. "Come on in!"

The door opens and Skye grows a wide smile on her face when she sees the familiar man stepping through. She honestly feels like it's been forever since she's seen her boyfriend, though that could just be due to how often she's been working.

"Miles, hey."

"Hey." He smiles back at her as he steps up the few stairs and into the trailer, letting the door swing shut behind him. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Skye shakes her head, standing up to meet him by the door. "Nope. Just going over some stuff for the scenes later today."

"Oh, okay, cool. You hungry?"

Skye nods. "Definitely. And I'm so glad you're able to join us for lunch."

"Us?" he questions, furrowing his brows as he lets his arms hang loosely around her middle.

"I think she means me," Grant speaks up from the other end of the trailer, raising one of his hands in the air with a tiny hint of a smile.

"Miles, this is my co-star Grant Ward," Skye introduces the two men, taking a few steps back toward Grant and pulling Miles with her. "Grant, this is my boyfriend Miles Lydon."

"Grant Ward," Miles says. "So you're the man who is rumored to be dating my girlfriend."

Grant lets out a chuckle and nods, rubbing at the back of his neck. "That would be me. But I can assure you that those are all just rumors. There is nothing more than just friendship going on between me and Skye."

"I know," Miles says with a nod, sitting down next to Skye. She shuffles a little closer to him and leans into his side. He doesn't respond, just lets her rest there. "Skye already explained everything to me. I know how fans can be."

"Oh, that's right. You're in the industry as well," Grant says with a snap of his fingers. "I think I remember Skye mentioning she met her boyfriend on an indie film she did a few years back."

"Yeah, I mainly just do indie films and other smaller projects. Don't have quite as big a following as you do."

"Oh I'm sure you do well for yourself," Grant assures him. "But I think what I'd really like to hear is what Skye was like back when you first met her. I mean, she's kind of crazy right now," he says, earning him a stuck-out tongue from Skye.

Miles smiles down at her. "She was pretty rambunctious and energetic back then too. The moment I saw her I was a goner."

Skye rolls her eyes despite the heat she feels in her cheeks and lightly hits Miles in the chest. "Stop being such a sap."

Miles and Grant both laugh.

"Okay," Grant speaks up. "How about we all go to Craft Services and get some food now?"

"Sounds good to me," Miles says.

"To Craft Services," Skye announces as she stands from her seat, climbing over Miles, and makes her way out of the trailer, not bothering to look and see if Grant and Miles are following her. She knows they are, they're both hungry too. And Miles doesn't know his way around the set, so of course, he'll follow her. And she has an inkling of a feeling that Grant will follow her just about anywhere. She quickly pushes those thoughts to the back of her head.

"Trip!" she exclaims when she sees her other co-star heading toward Craft Services as well once she's out of her trailer, thankful for the distraction from her wandering thoughts.

He turns to her and smiles. "Hey, girl. Why are you smiling like we haven't seen each other in months? We just shot a scene together ten minutes ago."

"I know. But I want you to meet someone."

"Who?"

Her smile widens. "My boyfriend."

Trip's brows furrow. "Um, don't I already know him since we all work together?"

Skye scoffs and reaches out to punch him in the shoulder. "Seriously? You too?"

He laughs, rubbing at his shoulder. "I'm sorry, girl. It was the perfect opportunity and I had to take it."

"You suck, you know that?"

He throws an arm over her shoulder and pulls her in for a hug. "Nah, you know you love me."

She tilts her head. "That's certainly debatable on some days."

Trip just laughs and hugs her again. She joins in on his laughter and leans into his hug. Trip gives some of the absolute best hugs known to man and even if she was mad at him she wouldn't turn one away.

"What's so funny over here?"

"Trip's being a dork," Skye tells Grant as he and Miles approach.

"This is news to you?"

Trip narrows his eyes. "Hilarious, Grant."

"I thought it was. Maybe I should try stand-up comedy instead."

"Stick to acting, my friend," Skye says. "I don't think you have enough material or the chops to be a comedian."

Grant chuckles, holding his hands up in the air. "Alright, alright, no need to get so hostile on me."

Skye laughs quietly before looking up at Trip. "Want to join us for lunch?"

"I'd love to," he replies.

She grins. "Awesome. Do you think the others will too?"

"Certainly wouldn't hurt to ask. I think Fitz is already there."

"Of course he is. That man may be skinny as a tree, but he packs it away like it's no one's business."

"You're one to talk," Grant remarks as they all slowly continue walking toward Craft Services. Skye's now walking beside Miles, his arm wrapped around her waist while Grant and Trip walk next to each other.

"Grant's right, Skye," Trip agrees. "Between you and Fitz, the rest of us are lucky if we get to eat anything at all whenever we hang out."

Skye rolls her eyes. "You guys are being overly dramatic. It's not that bad." They enter the Craft Services area, immediately heading toward the long tables set up with all sorts of food and drink items. "I don't eat that much."

"Hate to break it to you, Skye," Miles speaks up, "but you do tend to eat a lot."

Skye's jaw drops. "You're supposed to be on my side."

He laughs quietly. "I'm sorry. But I can't deny the truth."

She pouts playfully, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why did ganging up on Grant turn into ganging up on me?"

"Because you made yourself a pretty easy target," Trip tells her. "You and Grant both do. Half the time you set yourselves up for it without even realizing." He steps past her and grabs a plate from the end of the table, slowly walking the line to load it up with food. "Don't be mad, girl, it's all just harmless teasing."

"Yeah, I know that. I'm usually the one doing the teasing to Grant. It's just weird to hear it directed at me this time."

"That's what you get," Grant says, leaning down just a bit to speak in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine, before moving past her and grabbing a plate to load up.

She huffs. "You guys suck." She grabs a plate of her own and follows behind them, shooting her castmates and boyfriend glares when they start snickering at the amount of food she gathers. Oh, sometimes she wishes Daisy's superpowers were really hers.

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.

.

"And cut! That was really great work today, you guys. Go home and get some sleep, I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning."

Grant releases a breath and lets his body relax as the extra stand lights turn off and the camera is shut down and crew members begin milling around, getting some things set up for the next day's shoot.

"I feel like today was way longer than it actually was."

He turns his head to see Skye now standing next to him, brushing some of her hair back out of her face. He fights the urge to reach out and brush it back for her. That certainly wouldn't be appropriate.

"Yeah, it definitely did," he agrees with her. "You ready to go?" he asks as they begin casually walking off the set and toward their chairs set up off to the side.

"Very," she replies. "I can't believe we're already halfway through filming, though. It seems like it's been forever, but also hasn't been that long at all." She stops walking when she reaches her chair, sitting down in it and leaning back.

"That happens a lot," he tells her, stopping at his own chair next to hers. "I've had that feeling many times."

She nods. "Right. I forget sometimes that you're a major movie star."

He laughs quietly, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Well, I wouldn't say that I'm a 'major movie star'."

"But it's true," she retorts. "You may not say it about yourself, but it's what everyone else knows to be true. You've been in so many big-budget movies since you started acting."

"And soon you will be too," he assures her. "I've told you this before, and I'll tell you it again, this is just the first step for you. People are soon going to see what an amazing and talented actress you are."

"You're just trying to sweet-talk me," she says with a small smile.

He smiles back. "Maybe I am. But you'll never know."

Things are quiet for a moment between the two as they remain at their set chairs. He watches Skye for a moment, her eyes closed and her head tilted back. She's still in her makeup and costume from the day's scenes. Despite how uncomfortable she looks in her current position, he knows that she's very relaxed. He's not sure what it is about her being able to sit or lay in the weirdest positions and still be able to be comfortable. He's definitely found her in weirder sleeping positions around set than this one, though.

Quickly pulling out his phone, he snaps a photo and makes a mental note to post it later.

"So Miles seems like a pretty cool guy," he speaks up after a moment, getting his costars' attention and sliding his phone back into the pocket of his chair.

"You think so?" she asks him, opening her eyes and sitting up just a bit.

Grant nods his head, finally sitting down in his own chair. "Yeah. I like him. He's nice."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. And I think he likes you too. At least, that's what I assumed from his text earlier. I think he may have a man-crush on you, Grant."

Grant laughs. "A man-crush? Really?"

Skye smiles and nods her head. "Really. He's always been a fan of your work, and now he's met you. He hasn't stopped texting me about you since he left."

Grant smiles. "Well tell him I appreciate his enthusiasm."

"Oh, no, he can never know that I told you," she says. "If he knows that I actually told you that, he'll be so embarrassed and never want to be around you again."

He smiles. "Alright, then we won't let him know that I know that he basically fanboyed on the inside over meeting me."

She smiles back. "Good. Because the last thing I need to deal with is an extremely moody boyfriend."

Grant just chuckles to himself as he and Skye make their way to their trailers to get ready to go home for the day.

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_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _Okay, but @IMGrantWard's photo series of @Skye sleeping on set is probably one of the best things to ever exist in this world. #SkyeSleeps is a national treasure._

_**@IMGrantWard: @**_ _AnnikaDavila_   _I second that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Nothing super important to the storyline, per se, but I still think it's pretty fun. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"Happy birthday, beautiful!"

Skye smiles into the receiver of her phone as she slides into her shoes, balancing her cell phone between her shoulder and her ear. "Thanks, Bobbi."

"I wish I was there to celebrate with you," her best friend tells her and she can hear the near-pout in the other woman's voice.

"So do I." She stands up straight and grabs the phone with her hand to hold it in place as she looks around the front room of her apartment to make sure she has everything she needs for the day ahead of her. "Also, I think any other normal person would be upset about having to work on their birthday, especially having to get up this early, but I'm making a movie, so I'm not completely upset about it."

"No, I get that. Are you doing anything special tonight to celebrate?"

"Depends on what time we get done with filming. If we're done super late, I'll probably be way too tired to do anything."

"That makes sense. Just promise me you'll do something to celebrate today. It's your birthday, you have to celebrate it somehow."

"I promise that I will find a way. Even if I have to buy a cupcake during my lunch break and sing to myself."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that. I'm gonna go now so I can get ready for my shift, but I love you and I miss you and I hope you have a good birthday."

"I love and miss you too, Bobbi. And thanks for being the first to wish me a 'happy birthday'."

"Anytime."

Skye smiles as she ends the call, pulling the phone from her ear and setting it down on the counter next to her. She does one more quick search through her bag and around the room to make sure she has everything she needs. The last thing she needs is to forget something important.

"There's the birthday girl."

She looks over her shoulder and smiles at Miles making his way toward her from her bedroom, clad only in his boxers and a t-shirt. "Morning."

"Good morning to you too." He wraps his arms around her and drops a quick kiss to her lips. "I wish you didn't have to work today so we could properly celebrate your birthday."

"I know. But I'm doing what I love, so I think it's a reasonable sacrifice."

Miles sighs. "I guess." He leans down to give her a long kiss, lingering against her lips. "I love you. Happy birthday."

She smiles against his lips. "I love you too. And thank you. Are you working today?"

"I have a meeting later this morning for the newest project if that's what you mean."

She nods. "It is. Let me know how it goes?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. I have to go, but I will see you when I get back tonight." She kisses him again before grabbing her jacket and keys and moving toward the front door. Pulling on her jacket, she slides her bag up onto her shoulder and steps out into the hallway. Triple checking that she has everything, and making sure the door is locked, she continues down the hall and toward the apartment's parking garage so she can head to work. Happy birthday to her.

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Stepping up into her trailer with a lukewarm cup of coffee in hand, she's immediately taken aback at the bright colors spread out around the small space, covering nearly every surface. It's definitely unexpected, but completely amazing.

"What the…"

She sets her things down on the nearest surface as she moves further inside her trailer, taking a closer look at the new decor, a smile coming to her lips when she catches sight of a banner at the other end reading 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' It's surrounded by tons of colorful streamers hanging from the ceiling, a handful of multi-colored balloons scattered on the floor and taped to the walls, and even some confetti on the furniture.

"Wow."

Pulling out her phone, she opens up Snapchat and makes sure the camera is facing her before starting a video, a smile on her face the whole time. "Hey, guys. So, I just got to work and well, I found this in my trailer." She flips the camera around, showing off the state of her trailer as she keeps talking. "I don't know who did it yet, but it's pretty amazing."

She posts the video to her account before closing out of the app and settling herself down on her couch for a few minutes. She doesn't have to be in hair and makeup just quite yet so she's going to take the time to let herself relax for a bit.

She scrolls through her social media for a while, smiling at all of the birthday messages she's already getting from her fans. Sometimes she can't believe that this is all actually happening for her, that this is the way her life is now. It's crazy. But she loves it. Her fans are pretty great and they haven't even seen the movie yet.

Glancing at the time on her phone, she lets out a heavy sigh and pulls herself up off the couch. Stepping down out of her trailer, she makes her way across the lot to the hair/makeup trailer.

Pulling open the door, she steps inside and moves to one of the open chairs in front of the counter.

"Good morning, birthday girl."

She smiles over at her co-star. "Thanks, Grant. It's been a pretty good one so far. Someone even decorated my trailer up for the occasion." She settles herself in the chair, leaning back and relaxing again.

"Really? That's pretty cool."

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting it, so it took me completely by surprise, but I am certainly not going to complain about it."

"That's good. I'm sure whoever did it put a lot of thought into it. Assuming it was crazy and extravagant."

"It wasn't too crazy," she tells him. "Just some balloons and streamers, and a banner stretched across one wall. There was also a lot of confetti."

"That'll be fun to clean up."

"Oh, definitely."

"There's our birthday girl."

Skye smiles at the hair and make-up ladies stepping up into the trailer, wide smiles on their faces as they watch her. "Hey. Thanks."

"How does it feel to be working on your birthday?"

She tilts her head in thought. "You know, the day has barely started, but I'm making a movie so I don't think I can really complain about it." She lets out a breath as she leans back in her chair. "I feel like today's gonna be a good one."

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"Happy birthday!"

A wide smile breaks onto her face when she sees her castmates and the movie crew gathered around one of the larger tables in the Craft Services tent, all of them watching her with smiles on their faces. She'd taken a little bit longer to get offset after talking with their director for a few minutes, and now it's clear as to why exactly that was.

"What is this?" she asks with a small laugh, stepping closer to the scene. Though, she has a feeling she knows exactly what it is.

"It's a birthday party for you," Grant says as he moves toward her. "Well, as much of a party as we can have when we have a limited time for lunch."

"It's perfect," she tells him, already eyeing the cake that's set up in the center of the table. She then notices a few wrapped boxes sitting next to the cake. "Are those presents too? You guys didn't need to get me anything."

Grant shrugs. "A few of us got you some stuff. Nothing too big or crazy, though."

"Well, I appreciate it very much. Now are we going to keep standing here, or are we going to eat some cake?"

Grant laughs. "I had a feeling you'd be into the cake. But there is one surprise that you have to have right now."

"And what would that be?" she asks, eyeing him curiously.

"Turn around and find out," he says, gesturing with his head behind her.

She spins on her heels and grins when she sees her boyfriend approaching across the pavement. "Miles!" She runs toward him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Grant called me," he tells her with a quiet laugh. "He told me that he was putting together a party for you at work, invited me to come and have some cake during your lunch break."

Keeping her arms around Miles, she looks over her shoulder. "You did all of this?"

He shrugs nonchalantly. "The others helped me out. It was really more of a group effort."

"Well, thank you." Pieces slowly start to click together in her head and she turns fully toward him. "Wait, did you do all of that stuff in my trailer too, then?"

He gives her a sheepish smile. "I mean...I had some help."

She smiles widely at him. "I can't believe you."

"Just wanted you to have a good birthday since you have to be at work all day."

"Well, you definitely did a good job with that. Now, cake."

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.

_**@Skye:** _ _For those who saw my Snapchat this morning, I finally discovered the trailer decorating culprit. This cake eating weirdo did it for my birthday. Thanks for that, loser :)_

_**@IMGrantWard:** @S_ _kye Like I told you earlier, I had help. And I can't believe you actually took this photo of me._

_**@Skye:** @I_ _MGrantWard Of course I took it. It was too perfect not to._

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_**nikka001 posted** _

_Yes, I know they were filming for a movie, but she spent her entire birthday with him and that just makes me really, really happy._

_#Skye #Grant Ward #Skyeward #Secret War Movie #i love my children so much_

**12 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! This one's got a meeting between two characters that was really fun to play with. As well as more of Skye being a rookie in the movie world and Grant doing his best to calm her down. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hey, Grant," Skye calls out to her co-star, trying to get his attention as he walks in the opposite direction away from her across the lot. "Grant!"

The man in question turns and quirks an eyebrow. He then makes his way toward her, Max dutifully right at his side like he usually is if he isn't waiting in the trailer. "Hey, what's up?"

"Um, do you know why there are more people and cameras on set than usual?" she asks him, looking around the set as she bends down to greet Max. "I don't think any of these people even work on the movie."

Grant follows her line of sight and then nods. "Ah, yes. That would be the camera crew for our interviews today."

Her eyes go wide at hearing that little tidbit. "Interview? What interview?" She stands up straight again despite Max's whines in protest of losing her attention. "No one told me anything about doing an interview. Unless they did and I just blanked and forgot about it. Because that's definitely, most likely what happened."

He laughs quietly. "Relax, Skye. It'll only last for a few minutes. All they want to do is talk to the both of us and get an idea of what the movie is going to be about without us revealing too much about the whole thing."

She nods her head. "Okay, yeah, I think I can do that."

"Good. They'll be ready soon, I think, so we just need to relax a little bit until they're ready for us."

"Right, yeah, good call."

"Also, they're interviewing Fitz and Trip, too, so it won't be just us. We'll all be separated, though, I think."

"So it won't be a group interview, then?"

"No."

She lets out a heavy sigh. "Well, that just does absolute wonders for my confidence."

He smiles. "I promise you everything will be fine."

"I'm going to choose not to believe you because I'm pretty sure you can't promise me something like that when you have no real control over it."

"Maybe not. But I think the interviewer is Roxie. She's pretty cool. She's interviewed me a few times before on other movies I've done so you'll be perfectly fine with her."

"I really, really hope you're right. If you're wrong about this and she's a total jerk than I am so going to hate you."

Grant laughs quietly. "Alright. Whatever you say."

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"Hey, everyone, it's your girl Roxie here. Right now, I'm lucky enough to be on the set of one of the most anticipated films,  _Secret War: Fire and Earth,_ and I'm having the best time _._  I'm being joined right now by one of the stars of the film, Skye. She's a newcomer to this whole scene, but from what I saw while on set today, that doesn't seem to be stopping her from doing an incredible job with the role she's been given." She turns toward Skye with a smile. "So, first things first, this is slated to be a huge blockbuster release. How did you get involved with this movie?"

"I actually have my agent to thank for my involvement in this movie," Skye tells the interviewer, speaking into the microphone in her own hand, and doing her best not to look directly into the camera. That was one of the biggest instructions, to look more at Roxie while talking. "I was doing mainly just indie films for a few years while in college and once I graduated too, and after I agreed to let her be my agent she started looking for auditions for me that she thought I'd like or enjoy. She came to me one day a few months ago and told me about this audition for a superhero movie and that she thought it'd be a perfect fit for me."

"And she must have been right if you're here now."

Skye nods. "Yeah. I've definitely learned to trust her judgment over the short time that I've known her. She's very good at what she does and I've learned to never doubt her or her feelings about auditions."

"And what was the audition process like for you with this movie?"

She takes a deep breath. "Honestly, it was very nerve-wracking." She laughs quietly. "I had a couple of callbacks after my first audition before the chemistry read, where I met Grant when we read together for the first time."

"And what was that like? Was it instant chemistry between you two?"

She shifts a little on her feet. "Um, to be honest, even though it's kind of embarrassing to admit, I was actually a little star struck when I first met him. But I tried my best not to show it because I didn't want him to think I was just another crazed fan. We clicked pretty well after that, though, and obviously, our read went really well."

"You two definitely have chemistry on screen, that's for sure."

Skye smiles. "Thanks. I mean, the casting directors clearly saw something there if they cast both of us in this movie. I haven't known him for very long, but he's easily become one of my best friends and I'm so lucky to be able to work with him every day. He's honestly taught me so much about this industry that I didn't know before. I really don't know if I'd survive any of this if it wasn't for him."

Roxie smiles. "That's so sweet, I love that. And what can you tell us about this movie?"

"Well, without revealing too much, from what we've shot so far, this movie is going to be a very exciting one. It's got a little bit of everything, so hopefully, anyone who goes to see it will be able to enjoy some aspect of it."

"And what about your character? What is she like?"

"She's amazing. Her name is Daisy Johnson, and she's a pretty sociable person whose life gets completely turned around when she gets these new abilities that she was not at all prepared for. The whole thing is pretty scary for her so it's really fun getting to play all of that."

"That's great. And finally, is there anything else you want to say about the movie?"

"It has a pretty great cast and crew and we're definitely working hard to make this the best movie that we can."

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"Hey, everyone, it's your girl Roxie here. Right now I'm lucky enough to be on the set of Shield Studios' newest project,  _Secret War: Fire and Earth,_ obviously having the time of my life, and I'm currently being joined by one of Hollywood's most talented heartthrobs to date, Grant Ward."

Grant laughs quietly at the remark. "Thank you, Roxie. It's great to see you again, as always."

"The feeling's mutual." She takes a deep breath. "So, if everything goes well with this movie, it'll be another blockbuster opening to add to your massive repertoire. How does that feel?"

"Honestly? It feels pretty great. I love getting to create something like this that's going to entertain people years down the road. It's one of the best parts of the job."

"I'm sure it is. And what initially drew you to this movie?"

"I thought it sounded interesting," he admits. "I've been doing a lot of romantic comedies the last couple of years so I wanted to try my hand at something different. This movie seemed like the perfect way to do that. And I've got some pretty great castmates, so that makes it even more fun to come to work every day."

"That's always nice. From what I understand, you and Antoine Triplett have actually worked together before on a few films. Has it been fun getting to work with him again?"

Grant nods. "Oh, definitely. Trip and I have been friends for years now, so it's always fun getting to work with him. We always tend to have a good time. And this movie isn't any different."

"And how do you get along with your leading lady?" she asks him.

Grant smiles at the thought of his friend. "We actually get along pretty well. We met at the chemistry read and we may have only met a few months ago, but I think I can say with confidence that she's one of my closest friends. She definitely makes working on this movie pretty interesting. In the best way possible."

"That's so great to hear. And, without revealing too much, what can you tell us about this movie?"

He takes a deep breath. "Well, it's definitely going to be an interesting one. We've shot some pretty cool stuff so far, and I really think people are going to enjoy this. We've worked hard on it and are very excited to share it with everyone."

"And you're playing one of the main characters in this movie."

He nods. "I am. His name is James Taylor James, though I believe he just goes by JT throughout the film, and he's a pretty interesting guy. He's a bit of a loner, doesn't have too many people he can rely on, only a few close friends, so it's been fun exploring what happens when he meets Daisy, Skye's character, who is the only other person who knows what he's going through after they get their abilities. It definitely makes for an interesting story."

"Well, it definitely seems like this movie is shaping up to be something that all fans can enjoy."

"That's what we're hoping for, but you never really know until it premieres."

.

.

.

"So, your first big interview on set. How do you think it went?" Grant asks Skye as they break for lunch, walking side by side toward Craft Services.

Skye tilts her head in thought. "Honestly? I think it went okay."

He quirks a brow at her. "Just okay?"

She nods. "Yeah. It probably could have gone a lot better, but I was so nervous about doing it in the first place that I think my nerves may have gotten the better of me."

He waves her off. "That's natural. Nothing at all to be ashamed of."

"I never said I was ashamed," she replies. "Just a little worried that I came out of the interview sounding like a bumbling mess."

"I'm sure it was fine," he assures her.

"Well, I guess we won't know for sure until the interview is released. And then we'll let all of the fans decide if I looked like an idiot or not."

"Alright, if that's what you want."

"It is."

He laughs quietly as he heads for the Craft Services tent, eager to get some food in him before they have to get back to work on their next big scene.

.

.

_**@IMGrantWard** _ _: Everyone. Please help me convince @Skye that she does not look like an idiot in this interview. Thank you in advance._

_**@Skye:** @I_ _MGrantWard Nice try, weirdo. But I still think I look like an idiot._

_**@CallMeBobbi:** @_ _IMGrantWard @Skye Neither of you looks like an idiot._

_**@DrLincoln:** @_ _CallMeBobbi @IMGrantWard @Skye Nah, Skye definitely looks like an idiot_

_**@Skye:** @_ _DrLincoln @CallMeBobbi @IMGrantWard You're a great brother, Lincoln. Your confidence in me is astounding._

_**@DrLincoln:** @S_ _kye @CallMeBobbi @IMGrantWard Just doing my part to keep you grounded._

.

.

"You looked like an idiot in your interview too, mate, just so you know."

Grant glances up from his phone to see Kebo stepping up inside his trailer. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't a guy come visit his friend on his movie set?"

"Usually, yeah. But you've never visited me on set anytime I do a movie. So why is this time so special?"

Kebo shrugs, leaning against the wall next to him. "I wanted to finally meet your beautiful co-star everyone seems to think you're dating. In fact, I'm a bit offended that you haven't introduced us yet."

He laughs quietly. "Yeah, because I really want the two of you to meet. That's just setting myself up for double the teasing and mocking."

"Exactly why you should have introduced us earlier."

Grant shakes his head. "No, I think I made a very good decision here."

"Well, I would beg to differ."

A knock on the door of his trailer interrupts Grant before he can respond to his friend. He leans over in his chair, aiming toward the door. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think, Robot? Can I come in?"

He sighs. "Yeah, sure. You would even if I said no," he mutters under his breath as the door creaks open.

"You ready to get back to work so—who's this?" Skye asks, looking Kebo up and down with a curious eye.

Grant sighs, already knowing where this is going to end up but realizing there's no use in trying to delay the inevitable anymore. "Skye, this is my best friend Kebo. Kebo, this is Skye."

Kebo grins as he holds his hand out. "Nice to meet you, sweetheart."

She narrows her eyes at him but accepts his hand. "Nice to meet you too, I guess. And don't call me 'sweetheart'."

Kebo chuckles and looks over at Grant. "Ooh, I like her, mate. I can see why everyone thinks you're together. You're both attractive, well, relatively speaking in your case 'cause I still think you're rather ugly, but it makes sense why others would think you're together."

Skye sighs and looks pointedly at Grant. "Don't tell me he's on that train too."

"As a matter of fact, sweetheart, I am not. I happen to be smart enough to know you're with some other bloke."

"Really."

He nods. "Yeah. I stalked your entire Instagram after this one mentioned you because I knew he didn't have the balls to do it himself."

She quirks a brow at Grant. "You stalked my social media?"

He shakes his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Uh, no, not really. I just...looked through some of your tweets and a few of your photos." He juts a thumb at Kebo. " _He's_  the one who scrolled down to your very first Instagram post just to make a comparison of how you looked then versus now."

"I made that account almost four years ago," she tells the two of them. "So obviously I look a little different."

"And the username?" Kebo questions. He quirks a brow. "' _SkyesTheLimit_ '? Really?"

She shrugs. "Like I said, I made it years ago. Thought it would be fun. Haven't bothered to change it since."

He nods. "Right. Well, I think it's cute. Really suits you. Shoulda heard what this one wanted as his handle before I talked him out of it."

She grins. "Oh, I definitely need to hear this."

"No, you do not," Grant speaks up. "This is exactly why I didn't want the two of you to meet. At least, not yet. I wanted to control the meeting so I could try and avoid...this." He gestures to the space around them.

"And what exactly did you want to avoid, Robot?" Skye asks him, her arms crossing casually over her chest.

"You two...bonding over my misery."

Kebo and Skye both laugh at the look on his face.

"Oh, relax, Grant," Skye says. "We're not planning to gang up on you and share embarrassing stories about you."

"Oh, no, actually, I was planning on doing that."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She smiles. "Good. Because I was too."

Grant tilts his head back and closes his eyes, letting out a groan. "I am doomed."

.

.

.

_**@agenthaywood:** _ _Hearing @IMGrantWard and @Skye talk so highly of each other makes me so happy for this movie to come out._

_._

_._

_**kathrinaelisabeth posted** _

_My children love working together and I'm so damn happy about it._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Secret War Movie_

**8 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back with a new chapter for ya! This one moves things along a little. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I didn't want to spend too long on the actual filming of the movie, more just give little snapshots during the process to move things along quicker. Which brings us to Skye and Grant's last day of filming.
> 
> Enjoy!

Skye's heart races a mile a minute as she fully invests herself into the scene, not holding anything back. She can feel her palms sweating because of the bright lights shining down to illuminate them. She's giving it her all, putting every ounce of emotion she can into it.

Grant stands a few feet away from her as his own character and reacts in kind to the words she just spoke, rolling his eyes. His arms are crossed over his chest, trying to seem as disinterested as possible. It's definitely working. He's completely selling it. They both are. At least, she really hopes so.

They continue exchanging heated words with one another, moving about the set as they'd been instructed to do earlier. Small changes had been made to the blocking right before they started and they'd had to run through it a few times before filming started. But they've got it. Everything goes flawlessly.

She delivers her final line, her eyes narrowed tightly and her breathing heavy.

Grant responds with his own line as JT, standing as close to her as possible to increase the tension in the scene. What type of tension exactly the director is going for, she doesn't know.

Giving her one final look, 'JT' turns and walks out of the room, the set door slamming closed behind him as he goes. 'Daisy' remains standing in her spot for a moment, steaming mad as she glares daggers after him, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

"And cut!" the director yells from across the room, removing his headset and standing from his chair. "Grant, Skye, that was amazing. As it always is from both of you."

Skye lets out a heavy breath at the director's words, feeling the weight of the heavy scene being lifted off of her shoulders. She watches with a small smile as Grant reenters the set and walks over to where she is. She hasn't moved an inch from her final mark.

With a smile on his face, he envelops her in a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She hugs him back just as tightly, burying her face in his chest and breathing in deeply. There's just something about being wrapped in his arms that she loves.

Startling herself at the thought, she pulls away from him as casually as she can without raising suspicion and lifts her head to see him smiling down at her. Her stomach flips. She swallows thickly and smiles back. She cannot be feeling like this right now. She has a boyfriend. That she loves. She cannot be feeling like this, especially not about her co-star. It's probably just from the recent long hours to get the movie finished on time. Yeah, that's definitely what it is.

"Attention everyone," the director speaks up, pulling her out of her thoughts. She remains standing next to Grant, just no longer in his arms, and with a bit more space between them than usual. "That is now a wrap on Grant and Skye." Everyone on the set claps and cheers. "And that is also a wrap on  _Secret War: Fire and Earth_." Everyone continues to clap and cheer, a few of the crew members hooting and hollering in excitement.

She lets out a shaky breath, tears brimming her eyes at the thought of not doing this again. Sure, she'll probably still make movies, her career is just getting started, but she won't ever work on this movie again. This movie that is giving her her big break. It's crazy.

"I just want to thank each and every one of you who have been a part of making this movie whether on screen or off, you've all contributed to this in your own special way. It has been such a great experience getting to work with all of you, and I really hope that you all take something away from this experience. Again, thank you so much to all of you. And I guess I'll see you all again for the premiere and the press tour." He smiles at them and then everyone starts intermingling, talking to one another and saying goodbye.

"I can't believe this is really over," Skye says to Grant as they continue to stand in the middle of the set while everyone bustles about around them, preparing to take apart the different sets and close down the soundstage now that filming is officially over.

"It's crazy, right?" Grant asks her.

"Totally," she replies with a nod of her head, looking around the room. She can't bring herself to look at him right now. "Can you believe that just a few months ago we were heading into our first table read?"

She sees him smile out of the corner of her eye. "Time sure does fly."

She can't help but smile too. "Yes, it does. But now we need a picture." She forces herself to look up at him.

"For what?" he asks.

"To document this incredible moment," she tells him as if it's completely obvious. He really should know this about her by now. She steps away from him and walks over to her set chair to grab her phone out of the pocket. But also, she needs to not be standing right next to him for a minute or two. "It's for the fans."

"For the fans," he repeats. "Really?"

"Of course." She reaches into the side pocket of her chair and pulls out her phone. She turns around to find Grant almost standing right in front of her. She quickly unlocks her phone and goes into Instagram, Grant now standing very close to her, just not as close as when they were on the set. She moves to stand next to him, holding her phone up in front of them. "Make a sad face," she instructs him as she makes her own sad face. She rests her cheek against his, trying her hardest to ignore the warmth she feels immediately spreading across her skin.

Snapping the picture, she pulls her camera back down to examine the photo. She smiles. "Excellent. Now for a caption." She thinks for a moment before she types, trying to come up with the best caption.

 

_And that's a wrap. Wish it didn't have to end. But excited for you guys to see this one when it's all put together. #SecretWarFireandEarth #SecretWarMovie #daisyjohnson #jtjames #saditsover #butalreadyexcitedforthepremiere #andthepresstour #moviepremierevirginoverhere_

 

She holds it up to Grant when she finishes. "Good?"

He looks at it and smiles, a quiet laugh escaping past his lips. "Good."

She smiles back, quickly tagging his face in the photo before sharing it to all of her social media accounts. His laugh echoes in her mind. It's one sound that she's gotten so used to hearing over the course of filming the movie and it quickly made its way into becoming one of her favorite sounds ever.

"I have an idea," Grant speaks up as Skye places her phone back into the pocket of her chair and leans against it.

"What is it?"

"Let's go out to celebrate."

She lifts a brow at him. "Really?"

He nods. "Yeah. I mean the movie may be wrapped now, but it doesn't mean we can't still hang out together and be friends. Plus, it's the perfect time to celebrate something."

Skye smiles up at him. "That is very true. Where did you have in mind for us to eat?"

"You pick the place."

"Seriously? You want me to pick?"

"Of course. You pick where we go to eat. And we can even invite Fitz and Trip if they want to come with us."

Skye beams at the idea of getting to hang out with two of her friends. She hasn't seen them in a few days since the last couple of scenes shot for the movie were just of her and Grant.

"Awesome. But I think we should get changed out of these costumes first and take off all this makeup."

He chuckles and nods. "That would probably be a very good idea."

"You call Fitz and I'll call Trip," she tells him as she begins making her way toward her trailer.

"Sounds good."

"Awesome. Meet you at the front gate when we're done?"

"Yep. See you there."

Giving him one last smile, she turns and continues walking toward her trailer, already unlocking her phone and finding Trip's number in her contact list. Tapping on it, she holds the phone up to her ear as she steps inside her trailer, the door swinging shut behind her with a quiet thud.

"Hello?" _  
_

"Trip, hey."

"Hey, girl. What's up?" _  
_

"Grant and I just finished wrapping."

"Wow. The movie's really done filming." _  
_

"I know." She lets out a huff of air as she falls down onto the couch at the end of her trailer. "It's kinda weird. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow."

"Relax, Skye. That's what you're going to do. You're going to relax because you finally have some downtime after many long days and nights of filming."

"Yeah, probably. Anyways, the reason I called you."

"Yes, I would love to hear that reason." _  
_

"Grant suggested that we go out tonight to celebrate."

"Just the two of you?" _  
_

She rolls her eyes, having very clearly detected the slightly teasing lilt in his voice. "No, we want you and Fitz to come too."

"Alright, that sounds like it could be fun. Where is this get-together happening?"

She bites her lip between her teeth. "I haven't figured that part out yet. But I still have to change and get this makeup off my face. And I have to wait for Grant. So I'll text you when I decide on a place."

"You're picking?" _  
_

"Yep. Grant told me to. There are a lot of good places to choose from, so I'm still narrowing the choices down."

"Okay. Well, just let me know when you decide. Lucky for you, I'm not busy tonight so I can definitely meet up with you guys. I've missed you both. And Fitz, of course."

"We've missed you guys too," she tells him. "I should probably go now so I can change, but I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, of course. See you soon." _  
_

Pulling the phone down from her ear, she ends the call and sets her phone next to her before letting out a heavy breath. She takes a moment to lean back as far into the couch as she can and look around her at the space of her trailer.

It's a little crazy to her, that they're already done filming. It doesn't seem like that long ago that she was going in for her first audition. And now she's done. Grant was right. Time really does fly.

.

.

.

Clinking their glasses together, the four adults down the shots in their hands before slamming the small glasses onto the table. They each let out a breath and lean back in their chairs, a moment of comfortable silence passing over them. The ambient noises of the bar filling the space around them. She figured a bar would be a good place for them to come. Most people at this time of night are probably way too drunk to realize they're in the same bar as four actors. Or if they are aware, they're too drunk and shy to act on it. At least, she's really hoping for that.

"Wow. I sometimes forget how strong that stuff is," Skye remarks, shaking her head a little and squeezing her eyes shut momentarily before opening them again and looking at her friends.

Fitz shrugs from his seat next to her. "Eh. I've had stronger. Much stronger."

Skye fake gasps. "What? Our sweet, innocent little Fitzy? There's no way."

"I'm not that innocent and you bloody well know it."

Skye laughs quietly. "Right, of course. I'm sorry I forgot."

"Well don't let it happen again."

She laughs quietly again as she reaches for the drink in front of her, leaning back in her chair as she stares into the amber liquid.

"I'm gonna miss seeing you guys every day," she muses as she swirls her glass in her hand. She looks back up at her friends. "I've gotten so used to it and it'll be really weird to not see you and talk to you every day."

"You don't think you can get rid of us that easily, do you?" Trip asks her.

She shrugs, taking a sip from her drink.

"Because you're wrong if you think I won't be calling and texting you all the time just to annoy you."

Skye laughs. "I'm sure you will. And I'm most definitely looking forward to it. One thing I do not want to happen is the four of us falling out of touch with each other. I've heard stories of that happening and I don't like it."

"Don't worry, girl," Trip says. "I may have only met you a few months ago, but I can already tell that you aren't going to let something like that happen."

She nods once as she lifts her glass. "You're damn right I won't. You three are stuck with me forever. So start getting used to it."  
.

.

.

_**nikka001 posted** _

_Squad Goals, though, am I right? Just look at this wonderful picture of these amazingly beautiful humans. Can I somehow be included in this awesome group of friends? Please and thank you._

_Also, Leo Fitz is still such a precious cinnamon roll. I just thought the world needed a little reminder of that._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #AntoineTriplett #Leo Fitz #squad goals #Secret War movie #i love my children #i need this movie right now_

**57 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but if it seems like this story has big time jumps between chapters, it's because it kind of does. The main thing I want to do is hit the most important moments. Especially in future chapters, it might seem a little weird, but it is very intentional. I think toward the backend of the story it won't seem so choppy with the timeline, but for right now, that's how it is.
> 
> Enjoy!

_**@Skye:**_ _It's here, everyone! The official @SecretWarMovie trailer is out for all the world to see! Tell everyone you know! And let me know what you're most excited for about this movie. :)  
_ _.  
_ _.  
_ _ **@IMGrantWard:**_ _The time is now, everybody. The first official full-length trailer for @SecretWarMovie has finally dropped. Go watch it and get excited! :)  
_.  
.  
 _ **@LeoFitz:**_ _Have you seen the trailer yet for @SecretWarMovie? Because it's here, and it's awesome. Can't wait to share this movie with everyone._  
.  
.

 _ **@ATrip:**_   _Friends! The OFFICIAL trailer for @SecretWarMovie is now out and you are not ready for this movie! It's gonna be incredible.  
_ _.  
_ _.  
_ _ **@SecretWarMovie:**_   _Are you ready? Here's your first look at the OFFICIAL TRAILER for #SecretWarMovie._

.

.

.

"Do you have to kiss him?"

"Kiss who?" Skye asks into the receiver of her phone as she strolls down the streets of The Grove, a few shopping bags clutched in one hand while she holds her cell phone up to her ear with the other. It's a very useful skill she's managed to perfect over the years.

"Do you have to kiss Grant in the movie? Because based on that trailer they released today, there seems to be some very interesting sexual tension going on there between you two that could definitely be cut with a knife."

Skye rolls her eyes beneath her dark sunglasses. "It's called acting, Bobbi. You know, it's that thing I do as a profession." She hikes her purse a little higher up on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know that. But I'm being serious here. Do you have to kiss him in this movie?"

She quirks an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to tell you that and spoil the movie before you even see it?"

There's a brief pause on the other end of the call. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, then I'm not going to tell you."

"You suck, you know that?"

She laughs at her friend. "Yet somehow you're still friends with me after all these years."

"I'm just waiting for all the benefits of being best friends with a famous actress to start kicking in."

"And here I thought you were friends with me because I'm hilarious and super awesome."

"Well, maybe I was at first."

Skye laughs again. "I miss you, Bobbi."

"I miss you too."

"When are you going to come out here and visit me?"

"As soon as I can, I promise," Bobbi assures her. "Things are really hectic right now, but as soon as I get the chance I'm going to come out and visit you."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

"And you wouldn't be you if you didn't—"

"Are you Skye?"

"Who was that?" Bobbi asks curiously at the new voice.

"Hey, I'll call you back in a minute, okay?" she says into her phone.

"Yeah, sure."

"Great, bye." She pulls the phone away from her ear and ends the call. Sliding the phone into her back pocket, she pulls her sunglasses off and turns her attention on the young blonde girl standing next to her with a nervous smile. "Hi there."

"Hi." The little girl wrings her hands together. "Um, are you Skye? My friend said that you're not really her when we saw you but I told her she was wrong because you are."

She smiles. "Well, my name is Skye."

"Are you the Skye that's gonna be in  _Secret War_?"

She nods. "I am."

The girl grins. "Awesome. Can I get a picture with you?"

Her heart jumps a little at the request. "Of course you can."

"Cool."

She watches as the girl pulls out a cell phone and opens up to the camera before moving to stand next to her. Skye shrinks down just a bit so her face is next to the girl and then smiles, waiting for the photo to be taken.

"Thank you so much," the girl says to her after snapping the photo.

"No problem. What's your name?"

"Claire."

"Well, Claire, it was really great to meet you. Are you excited for  _Secret War_?"

Claire nods. "So excited. I've watched the trailer so many times already. Me and my friends are gonna have a big party at my house for the premiere of the movie. We're gonna watch it live on YouTube and everything."

"That sounds like it'll be a lot of fun."

"It will be. I have to go now but thanks for the picture."

"You're welcome." She smiles at the girl as she runs off to join back up with her friend, immediately holding the phone between them.

She waits a moment, just in case the other girl wants a photo as well, before turning and continuing her way down the sidewalk.

Pulling her phone back out of her pocket, she unlocks it and redials her best friends' number from her favorites section, holding the phone up to her ear as she walks.

"So who was that?" Bobbi asks as soon as she answers.

"A fan," she states as casually as possible, sliding her sunglasses back up onto her face.

"Wait, really?"

Skye nods. "Yep. It was kind of weird, to be honest. She knew who I was from the trailer and asked for a picture with me and that has never happened to me before."

"You're really making it big now, Skye."

"I know. It's crazy."

"Crazy exciting, though, right?"

She nods. "Definitely. Oh, I have to tell Grant about this."

"Grant, huh?"

She rolls her eyes. "Bobbi, knock it off, I can hear you smirking and wiggling your eyebrows. I'm only telling him because he's my costar in the movie and was always going on and on, since day one, about how someday I'd make it big. So I just feel like this is something he should know about."

"Right. Okay. I guess I'll let you go then, so you can tell him the news. But I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, of course. Bye."

"Bye."

Hanging up the call, she stops walking for a moment as she goes into her texts and finds the one between her and Grant from earlier after the trailer dropped, immediately typing inside the text box.

_So I just had my first fan interaction._

She hits send and then waits semi-patiently for him to respond as she walks a little more down the sidewalk.

A few seconds later, her phone lights up with his photo, indicating a phone call.

She answers the call, holding the phone up to her ear with a teasing smile on her face.

"Oh, I should have known you'd be one of those people who answers a text with a phone call."

"Not usually. But this was too good to just read about instead of hear about. So what exactly happened?"

"Well, I'm at The Grove right now doing some shopping and a girl came up to me while I was on the phone with Bobbi, and asked me if I was the Skye that's in  _Secret War_."

"Exactly how many famous Skye's are there that she felt the need to clarify her question?"

She lets out a small laugh. "Right? It was really sweet, though. She also asked me for a picture."

"Wow. I'm impressed."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. And how does it feel to have been recognized on the street now?"

She tilts her head. "Honestly? Kinda weird. I definitely wasn't expecting it so it took me a little by surprise at first."

"It usually does. It'll get less surprising as time goes on, though, and your career grows."

"Guess I'll just have to take your word for it for now."

"Guess you will." He takes a deep breath. "So what are you up to today? Still out at The Grove?"

"Yeah. The weather's nice enough, so I decided to do a little shopping."

"Get anything for me?"

She quirks a brow. "And why exactly would I do something like that?"

"Because I'm your most favorite person in the entire world."

She tilts her head. "Mm...you might have to fight Bobbi for that title."

"I could take her."

She snorts. "Sure, if you really think you can. Bobbi took martial arts all through school which means she is very high ranking, so I'm pretty sure she could take you down without breaking a sweat."

"Then I guess one of these days we'll just have to test your theory and see who would win."

"Oh, I am so looking forward to that." She slows to a stop outside a shop window and gets a sly smile on her face.

"I'm sure you are." There's a brief pause. "Hey, I actually have to go now, but I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, sure, but before you hang up, I think I just found something for you."

"What is it?"

She grins. "The latest of the most high-tech software updates."

"You're hilarious, Skye. Goodbye."

She laughs. "Bye."

Pulling the phone away from her ear, she ends the call and then steps toward the door of the shop. "Oh, he is very mistaken if he thinks I'm not actually buying this for him."

.

.

.

"Miles, guess what?" Skye speaks up as soon as she enters her boyfriend's apartment, tossing her bags down onto the couch and approaching him where he's standing at the stove in the kitchen.

"What?" he asks, glancing quickly over his shoulder.

She grins. "Somebody recognized me on the street today. From the movie trailer. I was at The Grove shopping and this girl came up to me and asked me for a photo. She told me how excited she is for the movie and that she and her friends are gonna have a party for the LA premiere. It was so crazy. But also kind of cool."

"Sounds like it."

She leans back against the counter. "Yeah. I was on the phone with Bobbi when it happened, and when I called her back she was pretty happy for me too. Though, she did joke about only being friends with me for the benefits of me being famous. And that she'd dump me as her best friend as soon as I got famous enough that she could reap all the benefits without actually needing me there." She laughs quietly. "I know she won't, though, she's not like that. Never has been."

"Things are really starting to take off for you, then," Miles remarks.

She shrugs. "I guess so." Her brows furrow. "Are you mad? You sound a little mad."

He shakes his head and turns to her. "No, I'm not mad. The opposite, actually. I'm very happy for you."

"But…?"

"But...I guess I'm just a little worried that you'll get really big as an actor and then dump me somewhere down the line because I'm just an indie filmmaker and not some big hotshot Hollywood director."

She steps towards him and frames his face in her hands, looking him directly in the eyes. "Hey, that is  _never_  going to happen. You're more than just an indie filmmaker, okay? You're the man that I love, and that's never going to change. I won't let it. Even if I do become some major movie star off of this, I'm still going to be the same Skye that you fell for, just...you'll have to learn to share me with the rest of the world too."

He smiles softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I think I can manage that."

She slides her hands down to clasp together behind his neck. "Good." She leans forward to peck his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

.

.

.

 _ **@AnnikaDavila:**_ _Okay, but that trailer for *SecretWarMovie is seriously amazing. I am getting so pumped for this. Summer cannot come fast enough._  
.  
.  
  
 _ **gears-of-ward posted**_

_Already I can tell that I'm gonna be serious trash for these two characters. Really hope that the movie gives us some good stuff._

_Yes, I know the characters obviously don't know each other that well, but it doesn't mean we can't have tons of UST with the hopes of a few sequels._

_#Secret War: Fire and Earth #Secret War Movie #Grant Ward #JT James #Skye #Daisy Johnson_

**24 notes  
**.  
.  
  
 _I met SkyesTheLimit today while down at The Grove! She's so nice! And so pretty in person! Can't wait for the premiere of SecretWarMovie!_ _#Skye #daisyjohnson #secretwarfireandearth #secretwarmovie #dreamsdocometrue  
_ _ **SkyesTheLimit**_   _It was so great meeting you too, Claire! You're the sweetest and I hope you and your friends enjoy the movie when it comes out! :)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Not sure if I've mentioned it before, but if it seems like this story has big time jumps between chapters, it's because it kind of does. The main thing I want to do is hit the most important moments. Especially in future chapters, it might seem a little weird, but it is very intentional. I think toward the backend of the story it won't seem so choppy with the timeline, but for right now, that's how it is.
> 
> Enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back with a new one for ya! Sorry it's been a little while. I've just been working a lot. This one's kinda fun. 
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

"You ready?"

Skye glances through the full-length mirror in front of her to find Grant leaning against the doorframe of her dressing room, a soft smile on his face and his arms crossed casually over his chest, crinkling the front of his suit jacket just a little.

"I think so," she replies, not at all sure if she's really ready for this. She's done a few interviews before about the movie, but they were all on set. And it was just the cast and crew around. This time it's in an actual studio with actual fans in the crowd because the movie is set to premiere pretty soon. She's had some time to recover from the craziness of actually filming the movie, but now the craziness of promoting it is starting.

She turns around to face Grant, a deep frown settling on her face. "I'm just...my hands are kind of sweaty right now and I may or may not be freaking out on the inside. But not the good kind of freaking out."

"There's a good kind of freaking out?" he questions with a raised eyebrow.p

She nods. "Yeah. Like when I got this role. I was freaking out in a very good way when that happened."

"Ah. Well, I promise you that you'll be perfectly fine."

"How do you know that?" she asks, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "How do you know I'm not going to make a complete fool of myself out there on national TV?"

He moves further into the room and stops in front of her, grabbing onto her shoulders securely and looking right into her eyes. "Because I'll be right there beside you the whole time. And it'll just be for a few minutes. We won't be out there for too long talking. Just long enough to discuss a little bit about the movie and maybe a few other things."

She nods. "Yeah, okay."

"Think you can handle that?" he asks her.

She nods again and takes a deep breath. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good." He pulls her in for a quick hug. "I have complete faith in you."

She relaxes a bit in his arms, breathing in deeply again and taking in the smell of his cologne. She recognizes it immediately as the cologne from the first day they met when he let her borrow his button-up. Cologne on any other guy, she'd recoil instantly, no doubt. But cologne on Grant, she finds herself wanting to stay there for just a little while longer.

Her eyes going wide for a split second, she pulls out of his arms as casually as she can without causing alarm and gives him a tight smile. "So, should we go out there?" she asks, running her hands down over her shirt to smooth out the fabric as she breathes in deeply.

He nods. "We can. I think we'll just have to stand around for a few minutes and wait for our cue to go out there, though."

"Perfectly fine with me," she tells him, trying to get her heart rate back down to normal.

"Great, come on then." He gestures with his head to the door before turning and walking out.

She takes one more deep breath and then follows after him, pulling the door shut tightly behind her after flipping off the light. She quickens her pace to catch up with him, instantly regretting it when she is assaulted by the amazing scent of his cologne again, causing her heart to skip.

She quietly clears her throat and stands up a little straighter once they reach the open area just behind the entrance they'll be using to go out onto the soundstage. She can just barely see the soundstage from where she is.

They both stand there for a moment, listening to the host speak to the audience, making them laugh with yet another well-timed, clever joke. The guy's a natural.

"Grant, Skye, you're on in two," one of the show's producers says to them as they quickly approach, a headset wrapped around the back of their head and a clipboard in their hand. "We just went to commercial, so after we're back, it's your turn. When he announces you, you'll walk out, wave to the audience, greet him, then have a seat in the two empty chairs. Got that?"

Grant nods. "Yes, thank you very much." He gives a small smile to the producer before looking at Skye with a slightly bigger smile. "You ready?"

She nods slowly and swallows. "I think so."

He laughs quietly and places a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. "Relax, Skye. Take slow, deep breaths. You'll be okay out there. Like I said, I'll be right there beside you the entire time so you won't have to worry too much."

"Yeah, I know that. But I'm still nervous about this."

"Ladies and gentlemen," they hear the talk show host say from his place out on the soundstage, drawing their attention to him, "as promised before the break, I've got a very special treat for all of you today. They're the two stars of Shield Studios' upcoming film  _Secret War: Fire and Earth,_ all about two average, everyday people who are suddenly thrown into the superhero world when they get exposed to the same unknown chemical _._  Playing the dashingly handsome JT James, and the equally as beautiful Daisy Johnson, please welcome, Grant Ward and Skye."

Skye takes a slow, deep breath before walking beside Grant toward the entrance to the stage. This is it, time for her big late-night talk show debut. And she's absolutely terrified. Anything could go wrong.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Grant step just a hair behind once they reach the doorway, letting her go first. She gives him a soft smile before stepping through.

She's immediately overwhelmed by the amount of cheering and shouting coming from the studio audience as she emerges from backstage.

She gives them a quick wave as she goes, causing them to cheer louder and the smile on her own face to grow wider.

A gentle hand at the small of her back directs her toward the back of the soundstage where two empty chairs are waiting, just calling their names. She looks beside her to see Grant smiling and then giving her a small wink. Her breath catches and her heart flips. No. She can't be feeling like this. Not now. Especially not on national TV.  _Especially_ not when she still has a boyfriend. A boyfriend she really loves.

They both greet the host with quick hugs and smiles before they take up their seats in the large cushioned chairs set right next to each other. Grant gestures for her to take the one closest to the host, which she accepts with a kind smile, watching as he situates himself in the chair next to her.

"Well, thank you both so much for being here," the host says once the cheering and clapping have died down.

"Thanks for having us," Skye says with a smile, shifting a little in her seat and crossing her ankles, trying to get as comfortable as possible. "This is my first big talk show so it's pretty exciting but also super nerve-wracking."

"Well I'm honored to be your first," the man says with a kind smile. "But Grant," he says, turning to her co-star, "this is absolutely nothing new for you."

Grant chuckles and shakes his head. "No, it is not. I've done so many talk shows over the course of my career, I'm pretty sure I've lost track at this point. I'm just glad I get to be with Skye for her first one. I remember how nerve-wracking it can be, so I'm giving her all the support that I can."

"That's great." He takes a deep breath. "So, let's just dive right into things, shall we? This movie is slated to be a  _major_  hit at the box office and it premieres very soon. Fans went wild when they saw the trailer and the internet is getting excited." He leans forward, bracing his arms against his desk. "Any juicy details you two can tell us about it?"

"Unfortunately not," Grant says with an apologetic smile and a perfected ease that Skye desperately wishes she had. "We'd love to be able to talk to you about so many different aspects of this movie because there is some really good stuff in it, but then we'd be ruining it before you even get a chance to see it, and we don't want to do that."

"But what we  _can_ tell you," Skye adds, "is that it was very fun to film and we both had a really great time working on this project."

"I'm sure you did, if the behind the scenes photos you've posted over the course of filming are anything to go by. Which, I think we actually have a few of them. Now, these are some of my personal favorites here."

The large screen behind them lights up to show a few different images of Grant and Skye from the set, a couple of them having Fitz, Trip, or both men in the photos with them.

"I would have loved to have been in on this," the host says with a quiet laugh, looking at the images. "It looks like it was a lot of fun."

"Those guys are so much fun to be around," Skye tells him honestly. "The four of us became fast friends on set, considering we worked together pretty much every day."

"Not as close as Skye and I are, though, I don't think," Grant speaks up. "We all definitely had some fun together, but because Skye and I were opposites in this movie, we spent more time together and got to know each other a lot better. She's become one of my best friends and is really great to work with."

"Same goes for me about him," Skye says, smiling quickly over at Grant. "This was my first big Hollywood movie and Grant made it so much fun for me, and I can't imagine acting opposite anyone else for my first big film. He just made it so fun and easy."

.

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.

"So, in all honesty, how was your first late-night talk show experience?" Grant asks her once they reach the hallway where their dressing rooms are located backstage. The echoes of the studio audience ring in their ears.

Skye takes a deep breath and leans back against one of the walls. "In all honesty? Not really that bad."

"Yeah?"

She nods. "Yeah. There were a couple of times when I was worried that I would say something really stupid, but I think I managed to pull it off okay."

"That you did. More than okay, actually. You did very well for your first big talk show."

"I did?"

He nods. "Absolutely. It can honestly be a bit of a hit or miss with first-time actors on their first interview like this. But you handled things in a very professional manner, so I'm proud of you for that."

"Thanks. It was extremely nerve-wracking, but I'm glad that I went through with it."

"So are the producers."

She laughs quietly. "Yeah, so is my agent. I don't even want to think about what she would have done if I had chickened out on this interview. She's basically the reason I even got the role for this movie in the first place, so...yeah." She lets out a huff of air.

"I'm sure you would have been fine. Some people put way too much pressure on themselves for things like this. But you did amazing."

She gives a small smile. "Thanks. I think I really needed to hear that."

He smiles back. "Anytime, Rookie."

.

.

.

_**@agenthaywood:** _ _Please tell me that someone else saw all those heart eyes they were throwing at each other while they were talking. Skyeward lives, ya'll!_

_._

_._

_**kathrinaelisabeth reblogged** _

_[gifset of Skye and Grant walking out on talk show]_

_Okay! But his hand is on her back! And the smile he's giving her the entire time! He's so in love! Don't tell me I'm wrong! You're wrong! They're perfect!_

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #they're so perfect together #i can't stand it_

**38 notes**

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.

_**nikka001 posted** _

" _She's become one of my best friends and is really great to work with."  
_ " _I can't imagine acting opposite anyone else for my first big film."_

_These two! Do they realize they're just making it harder for all of us when they say things like this?!_

_#Skye #Grant Ward #Skyeward #Secret War: Fire and Earth #Secret War movie #i can't with these two_

**30 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! It's movie premiere time!
> 
> Enjoy!

_Hey loser, what are you wearing to the premiere tonight?_

**Clothes.**

_You obviously can't see me, but I'm actually rolling my eyes at you right now._

**I'm sure you are. And I'm actually wearing a suit.**

_Good choice._

**I thought so too.  
And what are you wearing tonight, weirdo?**

_A dress._

**Well obviously. What kind of dress?**

_Like you'd even know what kind it is._

**Hey, I might surprise you.**

_Yeah, whatever._

**Why must you hurt me like that?**

_I'm rolling my eyes again._

**I'm sure you are. Now go get dressed so you aren't late, Rookie.**

_I know, I know. See you tonight, loser._

**See you tonight, weirdo.**

.

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.

Taking a deep breath in as the black sedan pulls up to the venue, Skye stares out the window at everyone waiting outside. There are flashes of cameras going off from every direction, she can hear the faint shouts of photographers near the red carpet, trying to coerce the different celebrities in attendance to look at them or pose in a certain way.

"You okay?"

Turning her head to the side, she sees Miles looking at her with his brows furrowed deep in concern, one hand resting on her knee in a comforting manner.

She gives him a small smile and squeezes his hand appreciatively. "Definitely. I'm just really, really nervous about all of this."

"There is absolutely nothing to be nervous about," Miles assures her.

"He's right," Grant speaks up from the other side of the car. She looks over at her costar. "All we're doing today is walking the carpet, posing for pictures along the way, and doing a few interviews for different websites and podcasts. Then we get to go inside the theatre and watch ourselves up on the big screen."

Skye looks up at him with wide eyes. "And what if I trip on the carpet and fall on my face? Or I look weird in a picture and people make fun of it online? Or I say the wrong thing in an interview and get reprimanded by the studio? And what if I don't like the way I did something in a scene as I'm watching it?" A million more questions race through her head, but she finds herself unable to actually voice them.

Grant gives her a soft smile and her fears lessen just a little. "I'll be right there to coach you through everything."

"Promise?"

He nods. "Promise. What else are friends for?"

She smiles back at him. "Thanks."

"No problem. You may be a Rookie at all of this, but it doesn't mean I want you to completely tank your first red carpet."

She narrows her eyes. "Gee, thanks. Your confidence in me is astounding."

He laughs quietly. "Just trying to help."

She deadpans. "Well, it's doing wonders."

His laugh is quickly masked by the sound of her phone going off in her clutch. She reaches inside and pulls the device out to see a new text from her best friend.

_Not sure if you're on the carpet yet, but good luck! I'm watching the live coverage with your parents and Lincoln. We're all rooting for you to do well._

She smiles at the thought of the four people she loves most huddled up together on the couch in her parents' living room watching the live coverage of the red carpet for her first big Hollywood movie. It's something she's dreamed about but for a while, didn't think it'd actually happen.

**Actually still in the car waiting to get on the carpet. And thanks. Tell the others I said hi and that I love them. :)**

_Will do._

Locking her phone again, she slides it back into her clutch.

She looks up at Miles. "My family and Bobbi are watching the live coverage together."

"I take it they're excited about this?" Grant asks.

"Definitely. Especially Bobbi. If she didn't still have classes and work I would have tried to have her flown out here for the premiere."

Grant nods. "That would have been a sweet gesture."

"It really would have. But like I already said, she's lame and still has classes so she couldn't come with me."

"Well, I would definitely love to meet her one day."

She smiles. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

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.

"Welcome back to the live red carpet coverage for the premiere of the latest project from Shield Studios,  _Secret War: Fire and Earth_ , I'm Jean Harris. Joining me right now I have the two stars of this highly-anticipated movie, playing JT and Daisy respectively, Grant Ward and Skye." She turns to the two stars and smiles at them. "Hello, you guys, how are you both doing right now?"

"We're managing," Skye says with a smile into the microphone she's holding. "It's a bit toasty out right now, but what else can you really expect from California in the middle of the summer?"

Jean smiles. "Exactly. So you two are the leads in this movie that everyone is getting very excited about. What was it like, the process of filming this movie?"

"A lot of pretending and imagining," Grant says with a small smile.

Jean smiles back. "Really."

Grant nods his head. "Yeah. Considering our two characters have superpowers, we had to do a lot of pretending that certain things were happening and imagining things that weren't actually there."

"But I think that's what made it so much fun at the end of it all," Skye adds. "There were definitely a lot of laughs on set because of that. Especially in between takes."

"That's always nice to hear. Now tell me, what can fans expect from this movie?"

"Well neither of us have actually seen the final cut of it yet," Skye answers. "But just knowing about the scenes we shot, the fans can expect a lot of really awesome stuff."

"And any romance between your two characters, perhaps?" Jean hints, wiggling her eyebrows.

Grant and Skye look at each other for a moment before looking back at Jean.

Grant opens his mouth to answer her question, "We actually aren't allowed to tell you too much, so I guess you'll just have to wait and see like everyone else." He throws her a smile.

"Alright. Now, the last question before I have to let you guys move on, what can we expect from the two of you in the near future?"

"I actually have a guest role in a TV show that I'm going to go shoot in a couple of weeks," Grant explains. "I'm really excited to get to be a part of that for a few episodes. Other than that, there's nothing much at the moment."

"And I just finished filming my role for another indie film," Skye speaks up. "My boyfriend is working on it and he thought the part would be great for me once he took the project on. So I have that coming out at a few different film festivals eventually, and then I have a couple of offers for some other projects. I've got a few possibilities that are still up in the air right now. Doing this movie has definitely opened up a lot of doors for me and I love it."

"That's awesome, for both of you. Unfortunately, we have to wrap up now and let you go, but I want to say congratulations to both of you on the movie, and have fun inside."

"Thank you," Grant and Skye both say before turning and stepping down off the platform to continue their way down the red carpet, handing their mics off to the tech hand nearby as they go.

"That wasn't so bad," Skye remarks as she and Grant walk the rest of the way down the carpet.

"She was one of the more tame carpet interviewers."

"Wait, really?"

He nods. "Oh definitely. Some of them ask questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the movie. They want to know who you're dating, what your aspirations are, things like that. It gets real old real quick."

"Yeah, it sounds like it would."

"Hey, you did great out there."

Skye turns her head to see Miles approaching with a smile on his face, one hand immediately curling around her waist.

"Thanks." She gives him a quick kiss. "You ready to go find some seats for the movie?"

He nods. "Yeah, sure."

"Great. I think I already saw Fitz and Trip go inside, so maybe they have some open seats next to them."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Grant speaks up. "Come on." He gestures with his head to the large, double front doors of the theatre.

The trio then turns and makes their way inside the building, being directed where to go by a few different people inside, taking notice of the array of snacks that are set up along one side for them.

"They've got snacks too, this is amazing," Skye remarks with a smile as they walk past. "You two go find seats, I'm going to get some food."

Grant laughs quietly. "Of course you are. You go, we'll make sure we all get good seats."

"Great, thanks." She gives Miles a kiss on the cheek and squeezes Grant's arm as she goes past them, making a beeline for the food.

.

.

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" _Are you sure about doing this?" JT asks Daisy as they stand down in their makeshift layer, facing each other as they talk. "About saving people?"_

" _Not just people, JT. The world too. We have these abilities and the people who gave them to us are no longer a threat. I really think we can do some good in the world if we try."_

" _You really believe that?"_

_She nods confidently. "Absolutely. It might be a bit of an adjustment, but I think we can do it."_

" _Okay. Then I'm in."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _I'm in too," Felix tells them as he enters the room, having heard their conversation as he approached. "Good news for your newfound partnership." He turns and moves to sit at his computer desk, booting it up quickly and tapping at the keys to pull up different boxes across the screen. "I've got a distress call coming in. Looks like it's from a bank somewhere downtown."_

" _Still sure you want to do this?" Daisy asks him, a small smile on her face._

_He smiles back, just a bit wider. "Definitely."_

" _Glad we're all on the same page now," Felix shouts. "This isn't just a practice drill or anything; I'm being completely serious right now. You guys need to get moving if you still want to do this."_

" _We're going, Fe," Daisy calls back. She looks up at JT. "You ready to do this?"_

_He smiles. "Oh yeah." The two turn and take off at a run side by side through the bunker._

_As the two heroes emerge into the cover of night, the screen fades to black and the credits begin to roll, music fading in to accompany the words on the screen._

The people in the audience begin to clap and cheer as soon as the credits start to roll across the screen, displaying all the names of everyone who was involved in the making of the film.

"Oh my goodness." Skye leans over toward Grant and whispers, "That turned out so much better than I thought it would."

Grant smiles, clapping along with the crowd, though not as enthusiastically as some of them are. "I know. The effects were incredible."

Skye nods her head. "Oh definitely. And your acting wasn't too shabby either."

"Well thank you. You were pretty good too. And you know what I can't wait for?" Grant asks her.

"What?"

He grins. "The after-party."

She grins back. "Oh, I am so ready to party!" She turns toward Fitz and Trip. "Are you guys ready for the after-party?"

"You know I am, girl," Trip replies with a smile. "The ladies at that party aren't going to know what hit 'em."

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.

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _How do they look so good together on the carpet?! I can't stand it!_

_._

_._

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_My queen looks so flawless tonight!_

_And Grant Ward doesn't look half bad either.  
#Skye #my queen #Grant Ward #Skyeward #Secret War: Fire and Earth #Secret War Movie Premiere_

**23 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter. Sorry it's been a while, been busy with work and other things. But here you go!
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

"It's gonna suck leaving you for however long I'll actually be gone," Skye mutters as she leans back against a large pole in the middle of the airport, one arm wrapped securely around her waist while the other holds her cell phone up in front of her face. She earbuds in so she can still hear her FaceTime call over the ambient noises of the airport around her.

It's been a little while since their movie premiered in LA, though it hasn't actually opened in movie theatres yet, and now they're getting ready to go promote it in different parts of the world that are going to be showing their movie. It's nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time.

"I know it'll be hard," Miles replies over the FaceTime call, a small smile on his face. "But I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

She sighs, her shoulders slumping a little. "I know. But it doesn't mean I have to like it."

He laughs quietly. "I don't like it too much either. I'd come with you if I could, but I have too much to do here for this movie. But I will be right here waiting for you when you get back."

"Promise?"

He smiles. "I promise."

"Good. I love you."

"I love you too. And you have to promise me that you'll have fun while you're out traveling. Just not too much fun that you forget about me."

"I could never forget about you."

"Yeah?"

She nods. "Yeah."

A quick tap on her shoulder draws her attention away from the video call. She pulls one bud out of her ear to look up at Grant. "Hey."

"Hey. They just announced that our flight is boarding now," he says, jutting a thumb over his shoulder to where everyone else on their flight is gathering at the gate.

She sighs. "Fine." She looks back at Miles. "I love you, and I'll see you when I get back."

"I love you too."

The couple shares one more smile before Skye ends the call and slides the phone into her back pocket, letting the headphones drape around her neck. She grabs the handle of her carry-on bag that Grant's holding out to her, tossing it up onto her shoulder as she walks.

"Aww, is little Skye gonna be okay?" Trip teases her as they make their way toward their boarding gate, Fitz joining up with them as they go.

Skye rolls her eyes and shoves Trip in the shoulder. "Shut up."

"Yeah, Trip, shut up," Grant says, joining the pair.

"Thank you," Skye says to Grant with a small smile.

"Oh, no, I'm just shutting him up so I can tease you later myself," Grant tells her.

She pushes his shoulder. "Jerk."

He just laughs and shoves her shoulder back as they continue toward the gate for their flight. The rest of the crew members joining them on the tour walk in front of them.

"Hey, Fitz," Skye speaks up, "since we're going across the pond, are we gonna get the chance to visit your wonderful little hometown and see where you grew up?"

"Um, no, I don't believe so. It's not very big, so there isn't a stop there for the press tour."

Skye frowns. "Well, that sucks. I was really hoping to see where our little Fitzy grew up." She drapes an arm over his shoulders. "I want to meet your mom and see all the embarrassing baby pictures that I know she has."

Fitz shakes his head and shoves her arm off his shoulders. "No, absolutely not. None of you lot will be meeting my mother, especially you, Skye." He points a finger directly at her to emphasize his words. "I will do everything I can to keep you from meeting her."

"Come on, Fitz, don't be like that," Grant says. "We all just want to get to know you and your roots."

Fitz grumbles under his breath, stepping away from Skye and moving ahead of them to give his ticket to the woman at the stand and then enter the tunnel that'll take them all onto the plane.

Skye laughs under her breath as she passes her ticket over. "He's such a grumpy old man."

"Well, you could probably be a little kinder to him sometimes." He follows her down the walkway, Trip not too far behind them.

Skye waves him off. "Oh, he knows I'm just messing around with him. He's just a natural old man. I think he may have actually been born that way and it just got worse as he got older. We'll have to ask his mom when we meet her."

"You really think we'll meet her?"

"Sometimes if you tell yourself something enough it'll actually happen."

He nods. "Ah. Well, in the meantime, we should probably find our seats."

"Yes, we should. And hey look," she says excitedly as she turns around to face him, rising a little on her toes to peer at his ticket. "We're seatmates." She holds her own ticket next to his, showing him the sequential seat numbers that put them in the same row.

"So I have to spend hours on a plane sitting next to you and listening to your nonstop talking?" he asks with a teasing brow raise.

"Hey, you know you love listening to me talk. Besides, I'll probably end up falling asleep. I can sleep anywhere."

He snorts. "Yeah, I've noticed. Now, let's sit down before we start causing a backup."

She sighs. "Fine. But I get the window seat."

"I'm pretty sure we have to sit in our assigned seating…" He trails off and sighs at the look she gives him. "Fine. You can have the window seat."

She smiles at another victory. "You're the best." She quickly stows her carry-on in the compartment above them with some assistance from Grant and then slides into her seat.

"Hey, get closer," she says once Grant gets settled into his own seat next to her. "I want to take a picture."

"Alright." He leans closer to her and smiles as she snaps a photo of their faces.

She pulls the photo down and checks it over before deeming it worthy of being posted to social media.

_Headed off to our first official stop on the @SecretWarMovie press tour around the world! A little nervous but also really excited. Can't wait to meet everyone that's coming by to see us! @IMGrantWard #SecretWarMovie #DaisyJohnson #JTJames #herewego_

.

.

.

Making their way down the street on their precious downtime before they have to get ready for a bunch of interviews and photoshoots to promote their movie, Grant, Skye, Fitz, and Trip talk and laugh with each other, getting to know the scenery. Occasionally they're stopped by a fan on the side of the road, one who recognizes them instantly. A few of them even notice Fitz instantly because of some of the roles he had in the UK before moving to the States.

They're just as kind and patient with these fans as they are with all the others they've met before. It's all still a bit surreal for Skye. It's her first time actually being in another country, not including her trip to Mexico with Bobbi for Spring Break, and she's having the time of her life. Everything she sees is amazing to her and all the people she meets are wonderful. She can't get enough of it.

"You doing alright, Rookie?"

She smiles up at Grant. "Definitely. This whole thing is incredible."

"I'm sure it is for you. It is nice being back, though. I've been here a few times over the years for work, but it's been a while."

"Have you been  _anywhere_  outside the States that hasn't been for work?" she asks him curiously. She genuinely wants to know.

He shrugs. "Once or twice. Usually for work, though."

"Well, one of these days I'm going to make sure that you travel somewhere solely for the purpose of having fun and not for work."

"Have you been outside the States before?"

"I went to Mexico once with Bobbi. That's a long, and slightly embarrassing, story that I don't plan on sharing with you. Ever."

He chuckles. "Alright. Well, I look forward to you trying to get me out of the country for a non-work related event someday."

"Oh, it'll happen. Just mark my words."

"Leopold!"

Grant and Skye turn at hearing the shout, and she briefly catches sight of Fitz's face paling. She notices Grant's and Trip's brows furrow.

"Is that who I think it is?" she asks, still staring at the spritely woman advancing quickly toward them, a grin slowly spreading across her face. "Please tell me that's who I think it is."

Fitz swallows and nods his head. "That's my mum."

Skye beams. "This is the absolute best day of my life. I don't think anything could ever top this."

"Oh, Leopold, it's so good to see you," the woman says with a smile, pulling Fitz into a tight hug.

"Uh, it's good to see you too, mum." He pulls back and smiles at her. "What are you doing here?"

She waves him off. "You honestly didn't think I'd miss seeing you while you're here for your movie press tour, did you?" She glances at the rest of the group. "My little Leopold, never thinking of these types of things."

Skye fights back a laugh. "No, little Leopold has a hard time thinking certain things through sometimes. But we still love him all the same."

Fitz turns on her with narrowed eyes before looking back at his mother. "Mum, these are my castmates for the movie I'm in. Grant Ward, Antoine Triplett, and Skye. Everyone, this is my mum, Mary."

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Fitz," Skye says, stepping forward and grabbing the other woman's hand for a quick shake, taking notice of how much the woman's features remind her of Fitz.

"Oh, no need for formalities, sweetie. Just call me Mary. Come here." She smiles and pulls Skye into a quick hug. "It's so nice to finally meet some of Leopold's mates." She releases Skye and then pulls Grant and Trip each into a quick hug.

"Question," Skye speaks up once the woman is done hugging everyone, "would you happen to have any embarrassing baby or child photos of Fitz that I could somehow get my hands on and possibly use to torment your son later on down the road?"

Mary laughs quietly. "Oh, I like you. You're a sneaky little thing, aren't you?"

She grins. "The sneakiest. Also, I have so many questions about your son that I desperately need to be answered or I might lose my mind." She lets out a content sigh, her arms crossing casually across her chest. "This is going to be so much fun."

.

.

_Spent the majority of our afternoon hanging out and bonding with the absolutely amazing, one-of-a-kind Mama Fitz.  
_ _And yes, she's just as sweet in person as she looks in this photo and she is absolutely fantastic and I love her so much already and yes she knows about her new nickname and she loves it. #mamafitz #shesamazing_

_**mamafitz** _ _It was great spending time with you as well, sweetheart._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _mamafitz You changed your handle! Agh! Amazing._

_**mamafitz** @_ _SkyesTheLimit Of course I did. It only seemed appropriate. And I happen to like it too._

_**LeoFitz** @_ _mamafitz @SkyesTheLimit I don't like how close you two are getting. Please stop._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _LeoFitz @mamafitz Oh, relax, you old man. :)_

.

.

.

_**@agenthaywood:** _ _I am so ready for all the Skyeward goodness we're gonna get from this press tour. All the interviews and photoshoots and everything. :)_

.

.

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _Leo Fitz's mom is the actual cutest human being and she seems amazing. I want to meet her so bad. #adoptmemamafitz_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya!
> 
> Enjoy!

"Bobbi!" Skye shouts across the airport floor, waving her hand in the air to get the other woman's attention through the small crowd of people around her. She stands a little taller on her toes, craning her neck to get a better view of her best friend.

The tall blonde squeals in excitement when she sees her, rushing forward and immediately enveloping her in a tight hug, knocking the baseball cap she's wearing a little off-kilter. "Oh, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Bobbi." They pull out of the hug and continue smiling at one another. She fixes the brim of her cap. "Talking on the phone and over FaceTime is not nearly as satisfying as actually talking to you in person and being able to hug you."

"No, it is not. And hey, now that you're a big movie star and everything, I definitely thought you'd be mobbed by fans as soon as you got off the plane."

"Exactly the reason why I took a flight that got to Chicago as early as possible and am wearing a baseball cap of all things, to avoid any possible mobbing by fans."

"Mm, good call."

"Yeah. Not that I was really expecting that to happen, because I'm definitely not Tony Stark level famous, but it never hurts to be safe, right?"

The two friends share a quick laugh before a relaxing silence spreads over them. It's never an awkward silence between them, they've been friends way too long for anything like that to happen to them.

"It's really good to have you home, you know," Bobbi tells her as they're making their way toward baggage claim to get Skye's suitcase.

Skye smiles. "It feels really good to be home. I mean, I really love what I do, and I've been having a lot of fun lately, especially getting to travel to promote the movie, but sometimes I miss home and how simple my life used to be before moving out to LA."

"I'm sure it's going to get even crazier as the years go by."

"That's what Grant told me."

Bobbi nods. "Ah, I see."

Skye's brows furrow. "What? What was that look?"

"What look?" Bobbi asks, feigning innocence.

"You know what look I'm talking about, Bobbi. Please don't be one of those people that becomes obsessed with my  _non-existent_ romantic relationship with Grant. He and I are friends. Just friends. That's all."

Bobbi holds her hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry. But speaking of your actual other half, where's Miles? He didn't want to come home with you this time around?" She reaches out to grab Skye's suitcase when she sees it on the conveyor, setting it on the ground and pulling it behind her toward the front doors.

Skye shakes her head, following after her friend. "Nah." She loops her arm through Bobbi's as they make their way toward the waiting car. "He had some work to do on a new project that apparently can't wait."

"Didn't he just recently finish one?" Bobbi asks, tossing the suitcase into the back of her car when they reach it before climbing into the driver's seat.

Skye climbs into the passenger seat, immediately buckling herself in. "Yeah. But he's always coming up with new ideas or taking on new projects already in development. He said it's easier for him to work in LA because all of his usual contacts are there and he doesn't have to worry about things like the time difference between here and LA."

"And because your family isn't there," Bobbi adds, turning over the engine of the car. "We all know that none of them are exactly warm and friendly toward Miles whenever they're in the same room together." She slowly pulls out of her space and navigates her way back onto the main road.

"Which actually still confuses me," Skye says with a slight furrow to her brows. "He's a great guy, he treats me well, and we love each other, so I don't know why they can't just accept that."

"They're your family and they love you, Skye. They just want to be sure that he's really who you want to be with. I'm sure deep down they're fine with it, they just want to remain intimidating in a certain way, to make sure that he's kept in check or whatever."

"Well, it's unnecessary. Miles is a good guy and he'd never do anything to hurt me."

"Yeah, I know that. And I'm pretty sure your family does too. But it's not going to stop them from trying to protect you from whatever they can. Especially Lincoln. He's always been super protective of you."

Skye rolls her eyes. "Annoyingly protective is more accurate."

"Oh, you know he's just looking out for you."

"It was cute when we were kids. Not so much anymore now that we're both almost thirty."

Bobbi nods with a small smile. "Right. Well, at least you have me to not give Miles a hard time."

"No, you still give him a hard time. But I don't mind it when you do it, because you're my best friend and it's pretty much your job to mess with anyone I'm in a relationship with."

"Damn straight it is."

.

.

_Reunited with this gorgeous lady and I'm so happy. Don't think Chicago was prepared for us to be back together again._

_**CallMeBobbi** _ _We certainly are a pair._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _CallMeBobbi A very fine-looking pair ;)_

_**IMGrantWard** _ _Looks like you're having fun already._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @I_ _MGrantWard Oh, we are._

.

.

.

"You know, even though I love living in LA, nothing quite compares to being home with the ones you love."

"That was so sappy. What's wrong with you?"

Skye turns her head and glares at her brother. "Shut up, Lincoln. I'm trying to be sentimental."

"Well can you stop? It's weird."

"Takes one to know one."

"You guys are ridiculous," Bobbi remarks aloud. "Despite being adults, you both act like children whenever you're together."

Her phone buzzing in her pocket draws her attention from responding to find an incoming call from Grant.

Answering the call, she holds the device up to her ear and smiles. "Hey, Robot."

"Sorry, sweetheart. Wrong handsome devil."

She rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat, casually crossing her arms over her chest. "Kebo, what do you want?"

"I was hoping you could talk some sense into Grant for me."

"About what?"

"He's all depressed. I think it's 'cause you're not here."

"Shut up, Kebo! I am not depressed!" a voice calls in the background.

Her brows furrow. "Was that Grant?"

"Yes. He's in an extremely vulnerable position right now and I don't know what to do about it. He tends to get like this around the holidays occasionally."

She laughs quietly. "Does he really get like that? Or are you just exaggerating for your own amusement."

"Frankly, I am offended that you would assume such a thing of me."

"Kebo! Give me my phone back!"

"Why are you using Grant's phone exactly?" she asks the man.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't answer if I used my own phone to call you."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong."

"See, it hurts me when you say things like that."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm sure you'll get over it quickly. Now put Grant on the phone."

"Alright, fine. Here."

There's a bit of shuffling on the other end of the phone before things quiet down and then Grant's voice comes through the speaker clearly.

"Sorry about him. He gets dramatic whenever his wife is out of town for work."

"It's fine. I think I'm slowly starting to get used to his antics."

"I've known him basically forever and I'm still not used to it."

She laughs. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to pawn him off on you whenever he starts annoying me."

"Isn't that what you just did?"

She nods. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Right. Well, I'm sorry if he interrupted anything. I know you're with your family right now and I don't want to get in the way of you enjoying your time at home."

She shakes her head, despite him not being able to see. "You're fine. I'm just hanging out with Bobbi and Lincoln right now. We're not doing much, just having pizza and talking."

"Lincoln's your brother, right?"

"Mm-hmm. And hey, I'm actually going to go now because they're both giving me the exact same look and that's never good when the two of them agree on something like this." She lets out a small laugh.

He laughs quietly in return. "Alright. I'll let you go. See you when you're back in LA?"

"Absolutely."

.

.

.

Skye stares with wide eyes at the computer screen in front of her, not quite believing what it is she's reading. She has to force herself to sit upright to keep herself from falling off her best friend's bed in shock.

"No way. This has to be some kind of joke."

"What does?" Bobbi asks from the other end of the room at her desk.

"The Oscar nominations."

"What about them?"

She looks over at her best friend, her eyes still wide. "I'm nominated."

Bobbi's eyes go almost as big as Skye's did. "You're what?"

She lets out a breathy laugh. "I'm nominated for a freaking Oscar."

"Holy crap."

"I know."

"Which category?" Bobbi asks, moving across the room to sit behind Skye on the bed and lean over her shoulder to look at the computer.

"Actress in a Leading Role."

"Damn."

"I know."

"You're totally going to get it."

"You think?"

Bobbi nods as she sits up straight. "Absolutely. I can feel it in my bones."

"But look at who else is nominated, Bobbi," Skye says, gesturing to the list of nominees. "All of these other women are so much more talented than I am, they've been doing this for years. I've just barely gotten started."

Bobbi frowns at her friend. "Hey. Don't be like that. You're an amazingly talented actress and you should be thrilled that you're even nominated for this."

Skye nods and lets out a sigh. "I know. I guess the whole thing is just a little nerve-wracking."

"I'm sure it is. Just be happy about it though, okay?"

Skye gives her friend a small smile. "I will do my best."

Her phone ringing pulls her attention away from Bobbi. She glances down at the caller ID to see Grant's face staring up at her, the photo she took of him on her birthday when he was mid cake bite.

"Kebo?" she asks into the receiver.

A familiar laugh sounds on the other end of the line. "No, it's actually me this time."

"Just wanted to make sure."

"I completely understand."

"So what's with the call?" she asks him.

"I just wanted to say congratulations."

She shrinks a little and bites her lip between her teeth as she smiles. "I take it you saw the nominees then?"

"Yes, I did. This is a pretty big accomplishment for it only being your first blockbuster movie."

"I know. I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing."

"Well you better do it quickly," he advises. "You only have about a month or so to really prepare yourself."

Her eyes go wide and she sucks in a sharp breath. "Damn. I didn't even think of that. Wow."

"Don't worry, I'll help you in whatever way I can. You're also going to have an incredible team to help you get ready for it, so try not to stress out too much, okay?"

She nods. "Yeah, okay. I think I can do that. I can totally do that."

.

.

_**@Skye:** _ _Um, thank you, I guess, to whoever nominates people for the Oscars. I'm so happy. I don't even have words. Just thank you._

_**@IMGrantWard:**_   _@Skye You deserve this._

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard Thanks, weirdo. :)_

_._

_._

_**@IMGrantWard:** _ _In case you haven't heard, my amazing costar has been nominated for an Oscar. Her very first. So proud of you, @Skye. You deserve this and so much more._

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard Seriously stop. You're gonna make me cry._

_._

_._

_**@ATrip:** _ _Huge congrats to @Skye on her Oscar nomination. You're gonna crush it, girl. So happy for you._

_**@Skye** _ _: @ATrip Thank you! :)_

_._

_._

_**@LeoFitz:** _ _Heard that @Skye got nominated for an Oscar. Very exciting. Congratulations._

_**@Skye:** @_ _LeoFitz Thanks, friend. :)_

_._

_._

_**@CallMeBobbi:** _ _Whose best friend has been nominated for an Oscar? This girl! I'm so so proud of you, pretty lady._

_**@Skye:** @Ca_ _llMeBobbi I love you so damn much._

.

.

.

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_Oscars nominations have been announced and my Queen is nominated! If she doesn't win I am going to protest!_

_#Skye #Secret War Movie #Secret War: Fire and Earth #Oscars #she deserves this so much #that movie is a masterpiece_

**17 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy working a lot. But I'm back now.
> 
> Enjoy!

Eyes staring straight ahead of her, Skye breathes in deeply and slowly, focusing on getting her heart rate under control as best she can. There's no need to freak out more than necessary here. She's been spending the last month or so preparing herself as well as she can. But how much can one really prepare themselves for an event like this when they haven't been there before? She is definitely feeling the nerves coming out in full force.

"Hey, you doing okay?"

She glances over her shoulder quickly to see Grant approaching her, before looking back at the massive scene ahead of her. "Yeah, I'm good. I think."

"You're gonna be fine, Skye. It's not like you haven't been to an event this size before."

"I know that. But this is the freaking Oscars, Grant! It's a pretty big deal."

He laughs quietly. "I know it is. But it doesn't mean you need to be so worked up about it the whole time we're here, okay?"

"I will do my absolute best not to show it, and to plaster a smile on my face. But I may or may not be freaking out on the inside the whole night. Just so you're aware."

"Then it's a good thing I'll be right next to you the entire time."

She looks up at him. "You mean that?"

He nods with a soft smile. "Absolutely. That's what friends are for, right?"

"I guess so."

"Oh, come on, Skye. It's going to be great."

"You better be right. Otherwise, I am going to severely hurt you later."

He laughs quietly. "I'm sure I'll be okay. Now come on."

One of his hands resting gently on her lower back, he guides her toward the start of the red carpet and she's very grateful in that moment that she opted for a dress that actually has a back.

Cameras upon cameras are set up along one side of the carpet; paparazzi and reporters are standing behind the devices, calling and shouting out to the various stars that appear one by one on the carpet.

"You've got this," Grant whispers in her ear as they step in front of the first set of cameras. A shiver rolls down her spine.

Skye takes a deep breath before letting a smile grow on her face. She stays as close to Grant as possible without being weird, needing him to help ground her. She can do this. She can totally do this.

.

.

.

"Welcome back, everybody. We're streaming live right now on the red carpet of the 88th Annual Academy Awards. This is set up to be an amazing show tonight. Right now, I'm being joined by a first-time Oscar nominee, the beautiful Skye, one of the stars of  _Secret War: Fire and Earth._ So, this is your first time attending the Oscars, how are you feeling right about now?"

Skye lets out a shaky breath with a smile. "Part of me still thinks I'm dreaming. But I FaceTimed my best friend earlier this morning while I was getting ready and she reminded me over and over again that this is very real."

"And are you believing that it's real?"

"You know, I'm not quite sure yet." She laughs. "But I'll let you know if it ever really sinks in for me."

"Good plan. And you're also nominated tonight…"

Skye smiles and nods. "I am. And I don't think that's quite set in yet either. It's very exciting, though. My mom kept asking me where she could vote and my brother and I both had to explain to her that there's a specific group of people who vote for the Oscars. I know she was telling everyone that she could about how I was nominated, though."

"Well, she seems like she'd be some very good company here."

Skye laughs. "Oh, I don't know. Because if I don't win she'll probably riot or something. She gets very passionate about things involving me and my brother, as every parent should. But sometimes she takes it to the extreme."

She and the interviewer laugh together.

"Before I let you go, I just want to tell you that you look absolutely amazing tonight. Hell of a way to show up to your first Oscars."

Skye smiles and glances down at the beautiful gown she's wearing, running one hand over the front of the fabric to smooth it down.

"Thank you. It's custom made, which is pretty amazing, and I'm very much in love with it."

"As am I. You wear it very well."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I have to let you go now, unfortunately, but good luck in there."

Skye gives her a polite smile before turning and stepping down off the platform, handing her microphone to one of the tech hands as she passes him.

"You did great up there," Grant says once she gets down off the platform.

"You really think so?"

He nods. "Absolutely. You were a pro. Looked like you've been doing it forever."

"I think part of that is because I was coached on how to say stuff. I don't think I've ever been coached on talking before."

"First time for everything, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Can we go inside now?"

He laughs quietly and nods. "I'm not sure if we can go inside just yet, but we're slowly making our way over there."

She sighs. "I guess that'll have to do for now."

.

.

.

"Once more, here are the nominees for Actress in a Leading Role."

Her leg bounces up and down and she grips tightly to the armrests of her seat as she listens to the names being read by the voice over. Videos clips of the nominees are shown on the screen as well, displaying their acting chops from whatever movie they were in.

She sucks in a sharp breath and can't help the smile she gets when she hears the clapping and cheering from other celebrities in the room once her name is announced. Her smile falters when she thinks about them clapping just to be polite, not because they thought she was actually good.

There's a long pause after the nominees are announced as the two presenters open up the envelope and read it over to themselves.

"And the Oscar goes to…"

Her heart nearly stops at not hearing her name read, her eyes instantly filling up with tears, but she fights hard to keep them at bay. She plasters a smile on her face as she claps for the winner, knowing the camera may still be trained on her.

She tries her hardest not to cry as the woman on stage goes through her acceptance speech. She would love to be up there on that stage, but she also knows that the woman currently speaking is a fantastic actress and definitely deserves the recognition that she's getting.

"That should be you up there."

She turns her head and smiles softly at the look in Grant's eyes. "Thanks. It sucks, but I'm really happy for the winner. I saw the movie and she was great."

"Doesn't mean your fans won't be upset about this."

She laughs quietly. "Oh, that's going to be fun to see."

"It certainly will. But hey, don't stress too much about not winning, okay? Yes, it's always a big accomplishment to win, but it's also a pretty big accomplishment to be nominated. And besides, you're just starting out in the big leagues. Give it some time and I'm sure you'll get one eventually."

"You really think I will?" she asks him.

He nods. "Oh, absolutely."

"Your faith and confidence in me is truly astounding."

He just smiles at her and then turns back to watch the remainder of the show. And if either of them notices her body leaning toward his a little bit more during the last portion of the show, neither of them say anything about it.

.

.

 _ **@DrLincoln:**_   _Only reason I willingly watched the Oscars is because my sister was nominated. But she didn't win. What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

 _ **@Skye:**_   _@D_ _rLincoln Your guess is as good as mine, big brother._

_._

_._

_**@CallMeBobbi:**_   _I'M GONNA RIOT! EVERYONE AT WORK IS GOING TO HATE ME BECAUSE THIS IS ALL I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TOMORROW. I LOVE YOU! YOU SHOULD HAVE WON!_

 _ **@Skye:**_   _@CallMeBobbi: I love you too, pretty lady. :*_

_._

_._

_**@IMGrantWard:**_   _So proud of my friend and costar @Skye for even being nominated for an Oscar. That's an accomplishment in and of itself.  
_ _ **@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye This is just the beginning for you, though, weirdo. You've got so much ahead of you, I can feel it._

 _ **@Skye:**_   _@IMGrantWard thanks, loser. Glad to have you forever in my corner. :)_

_._

_._

_._

_**@agenthaywood:**_   _She lost?! How the hell could she lose? What is wrong with this world #wewererobbed_

_._

_._

_**@AnnikaDavila:** @_ _Skye lost? Nooooo! Everything is so wrong! I don't know what to believe anymore._

_._

_._

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_Grant Ward stating how proud he is of Skye even though she lost gives me so much life. Get you a man._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #Oscars_

**21 notes**

I'm pretty sure Skye didn't even have her so-called 'boyfriend' at the Oscars with her, and you think that she would, which means she definitely leaned on Grant for support after that loss. So...I'm excited for whatever that means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new one for you! Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy with work and working on other stories. But I have not forgotten about this one.
> 
> Here you go! Got a few new characters popping up here. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Stepping inside her apartment building, Skye lets the door fall closed behind her as she crosses over to the wall of mailboxes. She waves to one of the other tenants in the building as she passes by, giving the elderly woman a small smile.

"I'm really not sure if it's a good idea, Bobbi," she says to her friend over the phone, using her key to open her mailbox and then pull out the few items in it.

"What? Why not?"

She closes the door of the box and moves toward the elevator. "Because you barely even know the guy."

"Isn't that the whole point of going on a date with him? To get to know him?"

Skye shrugs, despite her friend not being able to see her. "Maybe. But from what you've described so far he kind of sounds like a creep."

"Oh. Really?"

She nods, stepping inside the elevator car and pressing the button to go up to her floor. "Absolutely. Maybe you should reconsider this guy, or just wait a little bit longer before agreeing to go out with him."

There's a brief pause on the line before Bobbi speaks up again. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Of course I am." She takes a moment to sort through her mail as she waits for the doors to open on her floor. "I'm always right, Bobbi. Having been friends with me for so long, you should really be aware of that by now."

"Yeah, probably."

Skye's hands freeze when her eyes land on a particular envelope among the few bills she has to pay. It's a sleek black envelope with her name and address scrawled across the front in a very fancy, but still legible, script. She quickly flips over the envelope and tears open the seal, staring down at the card inside as she pulls it out, her eyes slowly going wide when she registers the writing on it. "Holy no way."

"What is it?" Bobbi asks on the other end of the line. "What's going on?"

"I'm checking my mail right now and I just got an invitation to a Tony Stark party."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah."

"Whoa."

"My thoughts exactly." The doors slide open and she steps out, moving down the hallway toward her apartment. She's careful not to run into anyone she passes as she continues staring down at the invitation.

"This is amazing, Skye."

"I know it is. I just...I honestly never thought I'd actually be invited to a party hosted by  _the_ Tony Stark. His parties are legendary."

"They certainly are."

"Everybody wants to go to one of his parties."

"Including me," Bobbi reminds her. "Which is why you are going to take as many photos and videos as you can for me while you're there so I can live vicariously through you."

Skye laughs as she unlocks her door. "I promise that I will."

"Good."

"I'm actually going to go now because I have a few things I need to take care of before my shift starts, but I'll call you later?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya."

"Bye."

Pulling her phone away from her ear, she sets it just inside on the counter and nudges the door closed with her foot. She toes her shoes off and sets her bags and mail on the counter, her mind still occupied with the invitation.

Focusing back on the card in her hand, she smiles wide at it, finding it hard to believe that it's actually happening. She's dreamed about moments like this; moments when she gets to take part in the things she always wished that she could.

Grabbing her phone off the counter again, she falls down onto the couch with a heavy breath and throws her feet up onto the coffee table.

Dialing a familiar number from her Favorites section, she holds the phone up to her ear and waits for the other person to answer.

"Hello?"

"Grant, hey. Are you busy right now?"

"Not particularly. Why?"

"I have something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

She grins, bouncing a little in her seat. "I got an invitation in the mail for Tony Stark's party."

"Me too."

She sits up a little straighter. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I know. So are you going to go to the party?"

She scoffs. "Hell yeah, I am. There's no way I would ever pass up an opportunity like this. I've always wanted to go to one of his parties. I'm just a little sad that Miles is going to be out of town on the night of the party. I get a plus one, so I wanted to bring him with me, but he won't be able to go."

"Oh. That's too bad. I'm sure you guys would have had a lot of fun at it together. Tony Stark is known for having wild parties."

She sighs. "Yeah. Are you going to bring someone?"

"I don't know. I thought about it, but I'm not sure if there's really anyone I'd want to take with me. So I think I'll just fly solo."

"Well, then we can fly solo together."

"Yeah?"

She smiles and nods her head. "Yeah. What are friends for?"

* * *

"Oh man. I can't believe we're actually here right now," Skye states as she and Grant step out of the elevator and onto the main floor where the party is being held, everything already in full swing in front of them.

Her arm is looped through his, mainly to help keep her on her feet as she walks in her heels. It's not that she's a complete klutz in heels, but she definitely isn't her steadiest. And the last thing she needs is for her first impression at a major party like this to be falling flat on her face.

"I've always wondered what it'd be like to come to one of these," she tells him as she looks around the large room in front of them. Bright lights are shining and music is playing through the large speakers set up around the room as everyone talks and dances.

"Well, wonder no more," a familiar voice speaks from behind them. The only familiarity in it coming from the many times she's watched movies starring the man belonging to that voice.

Skye tenses briefly before she and Grant slowly turn toward the voice and she can't help the grin that takes over her at the sight of the sharply dressed man standing in front of her. "You're Tony Stark."

"In the flesh," he says with a kind smile before removing the sunglasses he's wearing. "And you're Skye. And you're Grant Ward. I am beyond thrilled to have you both at my party, I don't know why I didn't think of inviting you sooner. Please, feel free to mingle and get some food. There is plenty to go around, so don't be shy."

"Thank you," Grant says with a small smile and nod of his head.

Tony smiles back before turning around to join another area of the party, calling out the name of someone he sees, leaving Grant and Skye standing alone in the entryway.

"So, what should we do first?" Grant asks as they turn back to watch the large group of people in front of them.

"I have no idea," she replies. "I think I'm still in shock from just being here."

"Well then I suggest we find a way to get you out of that shock," he advises. "Because a couple of very famous actresses are currently making their way toward us as I speak."

Skye's eyes follow his line of sight, her breath catching when she sees the two women approaching them. "Oh wow. You're Pepper Potts. And you're Wanda Maximoff. Wow. I've seen everything you've ever been in and I am a huge fan of both of you."

Pepper smiles. "That's sweet of you to say. We're actually pretty big fans of yours as well."

Her eyes go wide. "You are?"

Wanda nods. "Absolutely. You are an extremely talented actress."

"Oh, uh, thanks. That really means a lot coming from you."

"We're glad the both of you could come to the party," Pepper tells her. "Tony always likes to invite rising talent to his parties, thinks he can adopt them as his mentees."

"Having Tony Stark as a mentor? Uh, yes please. Where do I sign up?"

Both women laugh quietly and her heart swells a little at the prospect of calling these women friends one day.

.

.

_One of many dreams came true tonight, you guys. @TheTonyStark is just as amazing in person as he seems and he throws the absolute best parties known to man. I'm still a little in shock by the whole thing and it's a little hard to believe that I was actually invited to and attended a Tony Stark party. They truly live up to all the hype. @IMGrantWard is also a pretty great plus one, in case you were wondering. :)_

_**IMGrantWard**_   _Plus one? I actually got an invite to that party too, you know._

_**SkyesTheLimit** _ _IMGrantWard Eh. Semantics._

_**CallMeBobbi**_   _I am so damn jealous of you both._

_**TonyStark** _ _Thanks for coming. Your beautiful face made the party that much better. ;)_

.

.

.

_**AnnikaDavila:** _ _My two favorites together at a fancy party? This is the kind of stuff I live for, you guys. They're just so beyond perfect and I can't handle it._

_._

_._

_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_Okay, but did anyone else notice how her boyfriend wasn't in the photo? Was he not there, since she referred to Grant as her plus one? Or was that just a joke and he really was there but took the photo? I'm so confused. What's happening?_

_#Skye #Grant Ward #Skyeward #i just wanna know #please someone tell me_

**14 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya!
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hey Skye," Grant says to his co-star over the phone, holding it up to his ear with one hand, a smile on his face the whole time, "have you seen it?"

"Seen what?"

He shifts on his bed, pulling his laptop back into his lap with the web page already open. "We've been nominated for the Teen Choice Awards this year."

"Wait, we have?" Skye asks. "Seriously?"

He smiles at the pure excitement in her voice. "Yeah."

"Well, how many? And which categories? Or is it just one category?"

He glances at the screen with the web page already pulled up and reads over their list of nominations to her. "Um, Choice Movie Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Choice Movie Actor Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Choice Movie Actress Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Choice Breakout Star, and Choice Chemistry."

"I'm nominated for two awards?"

"Technically four if you count the movie nomination and the chemistry one too," he tells her, "but yeah. It's pretty crazy, right?" He closes the lid of his laptop and sets it aside, shifting on the bed again and lying back against his pillow, folding one arm back behind his head.

"Extremely. I never expected to get nominated for one award, let alone four of them."

"But now you are. And I'm going to see that you win all of them," he says with a smile.

"And I'm going to see that you win yours."

He lets out a small breath. "Who knows, maybe we'll be really lucky and win all of our categories."

"Yeah, maybe."

"It would definitely be one of those rare things that happens," he tells her.

"But completely awesome."

He nods in agreement with a quiet laugh. "That is very true. So what exactly are you up to right now?"

"Not much. You?"

He shrugs, even though she can't see him. "Just got home from working out. Now I'm just hanging out with Max for a little while."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is. I mean, I sweat a lot when I work out, but I enjoy it. And I got a nice shower in afterward."

"Those are definitely nice."

"They certainly are."

.

.

_**@IMGrantWard:**_   _Everybody! Go vote for my amazing costar @Skye as your @teenchoice for #ChoiceMovieActressSciFi AND #ChoiceBreakoutStar. Every RT counts, so go do it!_

_**@Skye:**_ _@IMGrantWard Aww! Thanks, boo!_

_**@IMGrantWard:**_ _@Skye: You're welcome! :)_

_._

_._

_**@IMGrantWard:**_   _And also be sure to vote for @SecretWarMovie @teenchoice #ChoiceMovieSciFi as well as @Skye and myself for #ChoiceChemistry, if that's what you want._

_._

_._

_**@Skye:**_   _Guys! Go vote for the absolutely incredible @IMGrantWard for @teenchoice using #ChoiceActorMovieSciFi. He rocks! Some of the time. ;)_

_**@IMGrantWard:**_ _@Skye Thanks, weirdo!_

_**@Skye:**_ @ _IMGrantWard Anything for you, loser :)_

_._

_._

_**@Skye:**_   _Also! Make sure you vote @SecretWarMovie for @teenchoice #ChoiceMovieSciFi and me and Grant for #ChoiceChemistry if that's what floats your boat._

_._

_._

_**@ATrip:** _ _If you're feeling the need to, go on and vote for @SecretWarMovie for @teenchoice #ChoiceMovieSciFi. We appreciate the love._

_._

_._

_**@ATrip** _ _: Also, don't forget to vote for @IMGrantWard and @Skye for #ChoiceActorMovieSciFi and #ChoiceActressMovieSciFi and #ChoiceChemistry @teenchoice_

_._

_._

_**@ATrip** _ _: @Skye is also nominated for #ChoiceBreakoutStar @teenchoice. She's racking in the nominations. :)_

_._

_._

_**@LeoFitz:** _ _Friends and fans, if you want, vote for @SecretWarMovie for @teenchoice #ChoiceMovieSciFi_

_._

_._

_**@LeoFitz** _ _: You can also vote for @IMGrantWard and @Skye as #ChoiceActorMovieSciFi and #ChoiceActressMovieSciFi as well as #ChoiceChemistry @teenchoice_

_._

_._

_**@LeoFitz:** _ _Oh, and I guess you could vote for @Skye as #ChoiceBreakoutStar @teenchoice if you wanted._

_._

_._

_**@DrLincoln:**_   _One of my patients told me today that my sister is nominated for a Teen Choice Award? Um, alright. I guess that's pretty cool._

_**@DrLincoln:**_   _I'm just kidding. Of course I'm excited! Congrats, baby sister. Go vote for @Skye for @teenchoice #ChoiceMovieActressSciFi and #ChoiceBreakoutStar_

_**@Skye:**_ @ _DrLincoln thanks, dork :)_

.

.

_**@CallMeBobbi:** _ _Everyone! Go vote for my girl @Skye as #ChoiceMovieActressSciFi AS WELL AS #ChoiceBreakoutStar for @teenchoice_

_**@Skye:** @_ _CallMeBobbi I love you!_

_**@CallMeBobbi:** @_ _Skye I love you too!_

_._

_._

_._

"I'm going to do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that you win."

"So I take it you heard about all the nominations," Skye says into the receiver of her phone as soon as she hears her best friend's voice coming through the speaker. There's a small smile on her face as she leans back in her chair.

"Obviously, I did. I follow you on Twitter, Skye. And Grant. And the other cast members. And the official movie Twitter. And I have a Tumblr and follow multiple tags attached to you and the movie very religiously to see what people are saying so I can try to keep them from posting anything too mean about you or the others. But mostly you cause you're the one I actually know and can defend without a doubt."

"Grant told me that if people are posting mean stuff then they secretly care in some way but they don't want people to know that they care."

"Oh really? And is this another one of his many gems about how to survive in Hollywood?"

She shrugs. "I guess. He's actually got some very wise words."

"I'm sure he does."

She laughs. "He does, Bobbi. A lot of his advice has actually been very helpful in helping to keep myself together when things get especially crazy."

"I know, I know. I just love to tease you about it. But seriously, I'm really excited about this for you. You were totally snubbed of your win at the Oscars, so this will be your big comeback moment and it's going to be epic."

Skye rolls her eyes. "I wasn't snubbed, Bobbi, not really. The lady who won did a really good job in her movie too."

"Yeah, well, I still think you should have won."

"You and all of my fans."

"We're a pretty loyal group of people."

"So I can tell." She bites her lip between her teeth, her brows furrowing together as her mind continues to race. "Do you really think I could win?"

"Absolutely. You're crazy talented, Skye. And seeing as this show is voted on by the fans, you've got a bigger chance of winning at least one award. Maybe two if you're really lucky."

She sighs. "I guess. The whole thing just makes me nervous. I know it's just an awards show for teens, but it's teens who look up to me and some who want to be just like me. It's definitely a little nerve-wracking."

"I get that. I mean...not completely since I'm not in your position, but I understand that it's probably extremely overwhelming for you."

"It is. But Grant helps to take the edge off whenever we're at these kinds of things. So I guess I can just rely on him the whole time with this like I did at the Oscars."

"That sounds like a solid plan."

"Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for."

Skye smiles. "You're there for a lot, Bobbi. Way more than you probably imagined when we first became friends."

"I agreed to be there for whatever you needed when we became friends. If that includes talking you out of your head about an awards show that you're nominated for, then I'm more than happy to do it."

She lets out a small sigh. "You really are the best, Bobbi. I wish you were here instead of in Chicago."

"I know, I know. You tell me all the time. And I promise you that the next chance I get, I'm going to come out there and visit you and you can show me all the best spots in LA."

"You better be coming soon, then," she tells her best friend. "I miss you like crazy. I miss my family too, obviously, but you're my number one."

"And you're mine. I'm glad we've re-established that."

"Me too." She lets out a heavy sigh and runs a hand through her hair. "Now, unfortunately, I have a couple of meetings I need to go to about some possible upcoming projects—"

"Ooh, what projects?"

"None that I can talk about yet."

"You suck."

"I know. I love you too. I'll talk to you later."

"Fine. Bye."

"Bye."

Pulling the device away from her ear, she ends the call and sets it aside, plugging it into its charger while she grabs the remote for the TV. She wasn't completely lying when she said she had meetings to go to. They just aren't for another couple of hours.

.

.

.

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _You guys! @Skye was robbed at the Oscars! Let's get her a win at the @teenchoice awards! We can do this! We can get her every single one!_

_._

_._

_**nikka001 posted** _

_My babies are both nominated for Teen Choice Awards! I could cry! I'm so happy! I feel like a proud mother watching her kids go off to their first day of school. :)_

_#Grant Ward #Skye #my children are doing so well #please let them win #I'll cut someone if they don't #they were robbed at the Oscars_

**24 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Also...I have no idea if I'm going to be working or not yet for the New Year, but if I'm not, or I'm able to be home in time to watch the countdown on tv, I'm going to be doing my annual New Years Eve/Day Q&A. So feel free to leave me any questions you'd like answered on there, whether it's about my own personal life (just nothing too crazy), or about any of my stories you've read. I want as many questions as I can get. You can leave them here, message me personally, or even message them to me on my twitter, gillybean729. :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya. Nothing super exciting in this one, it's more just a cute little chapter for you. But it was still fun to write. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Wow. You look stunning."

Glancing over her bare shoulder, Skye smiles when she sees her favorite tall, dark-haired man walking toward her, his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his slacks, a soft smile on his face as he admires her outfit. She can't say she hates this look on him.

"Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself, either. You clean up pretty nicely."

He stops in front of her and quirks a brow. "You do remember seeing me in a suit before, right? I wore one to the premiere last year for the movie that we were both a part of. And at the Oscars. And all the stops for the press tour."

She nods, waving him off. "I know, I know. But there's just something about weddings that makes guys in suits look nicer than at any other time in their life. Whether it's their own or someone else's."

He laughs quietly. "Alright. And are you here alone?" he asks her.

She shakes her head. "No, actually. Miles was finally able to come to an event with me."

"That's nice."

"Yeah. Did you bring anyone with you?"

He lets out a breath. "No, I did not. Normally I would have called a friend to come with and keep me company, but I decided to just fly solo this time around. More opportunities to mingle and meet new faces."

"Ah, well, save a dance for me, then?"

He smiles and nods. "Of course. As long as Miles doesn't mind it."

"As long as Miles doesn't mind what?"

They both turn their heads to see Miles approaching them, immediately wrapping an arm around Skye's waist to hold her close.

"I was just asking Skye to save a dance for me at the reception later," Grant tells Miles with a kind smile. "If you're cool with that, of course. I don't want to step on any toes or anything."

Miles shakes his head. "No, man, we're cool. I don't mind. I know Skye has guy friends and I promise I'm not one of those weirdly territorial boyfriends."

"He really isn't," Skye agrees, leaning against Miles with a pleasant smile on her face, one of her arms wrapping around his torso in return. She looks up at him. "Did you enjoy your chat?"

He nods. "I did. And I think we might have a few more backers for the new project."

She beams, rising on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "That's great, Miles. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. It's not a done deal yet, but they're definitely interested."

"Have you ever thought about getting into bigger projects?" Grant asks, drawing their attention back to him. "I know you do mainly indie films, but have you ever considered doing larger productions? You wouldn't have to worry too much about funding them."

"I actually have thought about it before," Miles says with a small nod, "especially once Skye booked  _Secret War_. I thought it could be fun to maybe work on a big blockbuster together someday. But ultimately, I decided to just stick with doing indie films. I enjoy what I do, and I don't know if I'm equipped well enough to handle the craziness and stress that comes from working on major Hollywood projects."

Grant nods. "Alright, that's fair. Everyone's got their niche. Personally, I have major respect for indie filmmakers. I've never done any, but I know a few people who have, and there seems to be just as much work going into those as there is with a Hollywood film, if not more. Considering you guys don't have all the resources that major producers have, you have to work a little harder to get your visions to come to life. But from what I've seen so far, you guys always manage to pull it off."

The corners of Miles' lips tug upward at the comment. "That's exactly right. Not that many people get it. But you do."

"He gets a lot of stuff," Skye tells her boyfriend, a smile on her own face. She really is so glad that the two of them are getting along so well. They haven't seen much of each other since that day on set during the movie shoot, except for those few stops in the US for the press tour, and she knows that the fans have been extra aggressive since the movie release about her and Grant's non-existent romance. She was only a little worried that things would be tense between Grant and Miles because of that. But she's never been happier to be wrong in her entire life.

.

.

.

"I still can't believe our agents are married to each other," Skye says to Grant as they stand on the edge of the dancefloor, watching as Natasha and Clint continue to dance together, swaying to the music despite the upbeat tempo. They're both focused solely on each other, paying no mind to anyone else around them. A smile is on Skye's face the whole time as she watches them dance. "I don't even think they've been together for that long." She leans more against Miles, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"They really haven't," Grant agrees. "But I guess when you know you know. I knew that Clint was seeing someone pretty seriously, but I didn't know it was Natasha until just a few weeks ago when he told me he was getting married."

"Same with me about Natasha," Skye tells him. "She's never been the most open person about her personal life, especially considering I haven't known her too long myself, but I knew there was something going on with her that she wouldn't tell me about."

"They probably just wanted to keep it to themselves," Miles pipes in. "I've heard some pretty crazy stories of Hollywood celebrities having their weddings mobbed by fans and paparazzi. Even though they're not actors, they probably didn't want to take the risk that something would happen."

"Thankfully weddings getting crashed doesn't happen too often," Grant says. "Most celebrities take enough precautions to prevent people from breaking in, but every once in a while one crazed fan or photographer will slip through the cracks. While I've never been one myself to actively keep any relationship on the down low, I can definitely see the appeal in it. At least for a little while."

"Personally, I don't mind sharing my relationships with the world," Skye admits. "If I'm with a guy that I really love, I want everyone to know about it." She leans up for a kiss with Miles.

"To each their own, I guess," Grant says, grabbing her attention again. He smiles at her as the music fades into a slower song. "As for now, I think you still owe me a dance and this is the perfect time to do so now that we've had a bit of a break."

The three of them had been out on the floor for a while, enjoying their time at the reception, dancing to the quick tempos that came through the large speakers set up around the dance floor. They'd left the floor after a few songs in order to get drinks and have a breather.

She smiles up at her friend. "I think you're very right." She turns to Miles. "You don't mind, right?"

He smiles softly at her. "Go have fun. I'll be over here."

"Great." She gives him a quick kiss before following Grant out onto the dancefloor. She stops when he does, in a small open space among the couples dancing, and places one of her hands on his shoulder, holding onto the other in the air.

They begin to slowly move across the floor, with much more ease than she'd thought they would. She's definitely not the best dancer in the world, and she had no idea what skills Grant had in slow dancing.

"You clean up well and you can dance," she remarks after a few quiet moments. "You really are the ideal package."

He laughs quietly. "I took a few classes when I was in middle school to impress this girl that I had a crush on. She was in ballet and I thought if I learned a few moves that weren't the stereotypical middle school boy dance moves, she might want to go to the school dance with me."

"And did it work?" she prods, eager to hear the outcome of the story.

He sighs. "It did not, unfortunately. I never got a chance to impress her because I found out that she'd already been asked by another kid in our class. I was disappointed, but I guess I never really forgot what I learned. And they've come in handy a few times on movie sets."

A light bulb goes off in her head. "That's right! I can't believe I forgot about the movies where you had to dance. You've done a lot of romantic comedies so there was bound to be one or two where you had to do some formal dancing."

"You are certainly not wrong," he tells her.

"Have you managed to impress any girls since middle school?" she asks him.

"I managed to impress you tonight, didn't I?"

She rolls her eyes despite the smile still there. "Besides me, you dork."

He laughs quietly. "I've impressed a few women over the years, but they've mainly been my costars for different movies where I needed to dance. I don't think I've ever broken out my dancing skills for when I have an actual girlfriend."

"Well that's a shame," she tells him. "Because whoever you end up with in the long run, I'm sure she's going to absolutely love your dancing."

He smiles. "Thanks. But what about you?" he asks. "Any hidden talents that you can use to impress Miles?"

"Oh, I think I've already impressed him plenty."

"Any plans for you two to do something like this eventually?" he asks next, gesturing with his head to the open space around them, couples slow dancing with each other around the floor.

She sucks in a breath at the thought, her body tensing just the slightest. "You know, I haven't actually thought about that too much. I mean, yeah, I've probably briefly thought about it in passing, but I haven't spent too much time on it. I don't know if he wants that...and I don't...uh...I mean…" Her brows furrow together deeply as she finds herself at a lose for actual words. She and Miles have never actually openly discussed the prospect of marriage so she has no idea if he even wants that down the line.

"Hey, whoa, relax," Grant says, stooping down just enough to look her in the eyes. "Calm down, I didn't mean to get you all worked up about it. It was just an innocent question."

She shakes her head. "It's fine. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Let's talk about something else for right now. No use getting you all crazy in your head again."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But uh, I think I'm actually gonna go find Miles, get another drink."

He nods. "Okay, yeah." He lets his hand fall from her waist and drops her other hand, an uncomfortable cold running across her skin at the loss of his warmth.

She swallows thickly. "I'll uh, I'll see you around." She turns around without allowing him to say anything else, and walks off the dancefloor, making an immediate beeline for where Miles stands near the refreshments table.

She needs to get away from Grant, she cannot be feeling like this. She thought she was over it, she thought it went away. But apparently it did not.

.

.

.

_**nikka001 posted** _

_Did anyone else see Grant's and Skye's Instagrams today? They're both dressed up really fancy at the same time of day. Coincidence? Or just my shipper mind playing tricks on me?_

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #what is going on with them? #where are they going?_

**14 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Happy Holidays to everyone as well! Hope you're all having fun with your friends and/or family and treating yourself to a good break from school/work/life. It's Christmas Eve where I'm at, and before I go to work, I wanted to leave you with a new chapter. A little present from me to you. Thanks for being so awesome at reading/reviewing. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"Are you excited about tonight?"

Skye shrugs as she looks at herself in the full-length mirror in front of her, tilting her head to admire her outfit and smooth her hands down over the soft fabric. "I guess so."

"What do you mean? You're nominated for three awards tonight, Skye. That's crazy. You should be overly ecstatic right now about this."

She sighs, glancing over at the FaceTime call on her laptop with her best friend. "I don't know, Bobbi. I just feel like I should be more excited about this, but I think it's mostly just nerves that are getting to me right now."

"Right. Well, then I'll just be excited for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"I thought you might."

She takes a deep breath and runs her hands over the front of her dress again, turning to fully face the screen sitting on her desk. "Now, do you like my outfit? I need your completely honest opinion on this, don't hold back. It is very crucial and could most definitely alter the outcome of all of this."

"Hmm." Bobbi tilts her head she taps her fingers against her chin. "Well, I think that it is an absolutely  _perfect_  dress for such an occasion as tonight's event."

Skye smiles. "Thanks. I wasn't sure about it when it was picked out for me. But now that I have it on, I think I really like it."

"Well, you better. You look hot."

Skye laughs. "Thanks, Bobbi."

"It's what I'm here for. Though, I should be there with you going to that awards show."

Skye leans toward the camera and smiles at her best friend. "And I promise you that I will take you with me to an awards show or movie premiere the moment I get the chance to. I mean...it's not my fault that you're still in school."

Bobbi points a finger at her. "Hey, I am working towards getting my degree."

"Very slowly."

"A degree like this takes a lot of hard work."

"So you tell me all the time whenever I bring it up."

"I'm actually going to go now so I can study for an upcoming test for said degree that I am working hard on. Have fun tonight, okay?"

"I will do my best to have fun."

"Good. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye."

Ending the call, Skye closes the lid of her laptop and then turns back to face the mirror. She lets her eyes run over her reflection, taking in everything that she sees. She really does look good. She can't believe she was so worried about the dress.

She takes a deep breath as she runs her hands down over the front of her dress, smoothing out the fabric once again.

Glancing at the clock behind her, she takes a deep breath and then looks at her reflection again.

"Well, it's now or never."

.

.

.

"Welcome back, everyone, to your live coverage of the 2016 Teen Choice Awards. I'm out here right now on the coveted orange carpet with two of our nominees for tonight, Grant Ward and Skye. Thanks for joining me, you guys."

Grant smiles kindly at the woman on the platform with them. "Thanks for having us up here."

"So, you're both nominated tonight. How does it feel?"

"This is just a walk in the park for me," Grant answers honestly into his mic. "I've done all of this before way more times than I can count."

"But I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything," Skye admits. "I'm nominated for two awards tonight. Four, if you also count the movie nomination and the one Grant and I are nominated for together. It's still a little surreal to me."

"Well, congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Your movie is nominated for Choice Movie Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and I'm sure all of your fans want it to win. What was it like for both of you after the movie was released last summer?"

"It was incredible," Grant tells the interviewer. "The reception from the fans was absolutely crazy."

"I definitely wasn't used to it," Skye says with a small laugh. "But I think I'm slowly figuring out how to handle it all. Grant's been a great coach throughout the whole process," she jokes.

The woman smiles. "That's great to hear. Unfortunately, I have to let you guys go now, but again, congratulations on your nominations, and good luck inside."

"Thank you." Grant smiles at her as he and Skye make their way down off the platform and slowly begin walking in the direction of the venue.

"Hopefully this will be a lot less stressful than the Oscars was," Skye remarks as they walk, flashing smiles and quick waves to the people they pass.

"You'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because it's the Teen Choice Awards."

"Hence why I'm worried that it'll be more stressful. Kids can be harsh, Grant."

He nods. "True. But as I've said already, you'll be fine."

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you right now."

"Perfect place to put it. I am a very trustworthy person, in case you didn't already know."

"Can we just get inside and go find our seats?" she asks as they get closer to the entrance.

He glances around them briefly. "I think so. But we may have to talk to a few fans and sign some autographs on our way inside."

She sighs. "Fine. But only because it's the fans."

He smiles, gently grabbing her wrist to pull her along beside him. "Oh, of course."

.

.

.

" _Please welcome to the stage, the stars of 'If Only', Patrick Moore and Jenna Louis."_

From behind one of the large set pieces, a young man and young woman walk arm in arm to the center of the stage. They stand directly behind the microphone, smiling out at the crowd as they wait for the loud cheers to die down.

"Everybody loves a good sci-fi/fantasy movie," Patrick says into the microphone in front of him, leaning forward slightly. "They take us out of our own world and transport us somewhere completely new and amazing."

Jenna speaks up next, "There is never a shortage of amazing sci-fi/fantasy movies to take us on countless adventures, and the following movies are definitely some fan favorites. The nominees for Choice Movie Sci-Fi/Fantasy are…"

The loud automated voice lists off the nominees as the giant screen above the stage flashes to show clips from the different movies that are nominated.

Grant smiles when their movie is announced, chancing a glance at Skye to see her eyes locked on the stage and her hands gripping tightly to the armrests of her seat.

He reaches over and places his hand on top of hers, smiling at her when she looks up at him. She smiles back at him, releasing her grip on the seat and allowing him to thread their fingers together.

He's beyond grateful in this moment that he was never cursed with having overly sweaty palms like some kids he knew growing up.

Turning his attention back to the stage as the screen fades back out, he watches as the two presenters step back up to the mic.

He holds his breath in anticipation, a slight pressure on his hand from Skye squeezing. He squeezes back.

" _Secret War: Fire and Earth!"_

The entire room erupts into cheers around them, many of the attendees rising to their feet around them.

Grant looks at Skye with a wide smile, leaning in to pull her into a hug. She hugs him back as they awkwardly stand from their seats. They then turn and hug the rest of their castmates before making their way out of the rows and up toward the stage.

" _Skye also wins this evening for Choice Breakout Star,"_ the overhead voice announces as they walk, Grant's hand hovering over Skye's back to guide her. " _Grant Ward and Skye also take home the surfboard for Choice Chemistry."_

When they all reach the stage, they walk up the stairs and accept the awards from the young boy holding them.

"This is so awesome," Grant says into the microphone when he gets to it, leaning on the colorfully decorated surfboard in his hands. "Thank you guys so much for watching our movie and welcoming it, and us, into your lives and your homes. It means the world to us."

Skye smiles as she steps up next to him. "You guys are absolutely incredible. This was my first big movie and you all made it so much better than I ever thought it could be. Thank you so much to everyone who went out and saw it; your support has been absolutely amazing."

The smile remains on Grant's face the entire time as Trip and Fitz address the crowd and then they all make their way into the side wing of the stage, listening to the crowd cheering and clapping as they go. He glances behind him to see Skye letting out a breath and smiling at the award in her hands.

"I knew you'd get at least one for yourself."

Skye lifts her head and looks at him with furrowed brows. "You did? How?"

His smile softens. "Because you're amazing."

She rolls her eyes and shoves his shoulder, but he can see the smile in place. "Shut up."

He laughs and throws an arm over her shoulder as they're escorted back to their seats once a commercial break hits.

.

.

.

**kathrinaelisabeth posted**

THEY WON! MY HEART IS SO DAMN HAPPY RIGHT NOW I CAN'T CONTROL IT!

And they both looked so flawless on the carpet!

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Secret War: Fire and Earth #Teen Choice Awards_

**20 notes**

.

.

_**nikka001 posted** _

Please tell me I'm not the only one who saw the major heart eyes that Grant was giving Skye during their acceptance speech.

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #Secret War: Fire And Earth_

**26 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Also, I'm planning on doing my annual New Years Eve/Day Q&A video, but I still need questions for it. If there's ever anything you've wanted to know about me, my stories, my life, whatever, just leave them in a review. Thanks again!
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a good holiday break from whatever it is you're doing in life. I'm back again with a new chapter for ya. New character introduced in this one.
> 
> Enjoy!

Letting go of the handle of her suitcase, Skye stretches her arms high above her head and then lets out a breath as she relaxes. She smiles at the scenery just beyond the borders of the O'Hare International Airport, glad to be back in such a familiar setting, even if it's only for a little while. She's going to soak it in as much as she can.

"Oh, I've missed this," she says to no one in particular, tilting her head back to take in the shining sun on her face as it slowly starts to rise higher and higher.

"Oi. You just gonna keep standing there?"

"We still have to wait for the shuttle to take us to the hotel, so yes, Lance, I'm just going to stand here." She opens her eyes and looks over at him. "You don't have to stand here too if you're going to just be a diva about it."

"I am not a diva," Lance responds with a frown.

"I saw how you were on the plane. Total diva."

"You take that back."

"Nope."

He huffs. "Fine. I'll be on one of the benches over there waiting for the shuttle." He gestures over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Be my guest." She laughs quietly as he turns and marches over to one of the benches along the outside wall of the airport, dragging his suitcase along behind him. He really is a diva.

"Skye!"

Turning around, Skye grins when she sees her best friend standing a few feet away, a wide smile on the other woman's face.

Bobbi runs toward her and engulfs her in a tight hug, seeing as she's quite a bit taller than Skye. Some things will never change.

"Oh my goodness. It is so great having you here for however long you're here for," Bobbi tells her. "I can't believe you're actually shooting a movie here."

"Neither can I," Skye says, pulling out of the hug but keeping her arms around her friend. "I just really hope mom doesn't come to the set and try to embarrass me or anything in front of everyone. I love her, I really do, but that is the last thing that I need while I'm here."

Bobbi laughs. "Lincoln and I will do our absolute best to reign her in while you're in town."

"Good. I really appreciate that."

"Skye! The shuttle's here. You coming? We gotta get checked into the hotel."

She glances over her shoulder to see Lance approaching her, his carry-on bag slung over his shoulder. She nods. "Yeah, I'm coming."

"Good. Oh, and who's this?"

Skye drops her arms from around Bobbi and turns fully to face her co-star. "Lance, this is my best friend of all time, Bobbi Morse. Bobbi, this is Lance Hunter, he's in the movie with me."

"Nice to meet you," Bobbi says to him with the tiniest hint of a smile.

He gives her half a smile. "Nice legs."

She quirks a brow. "Is that really how you greet women?"

He nods. "Gorgeous ones, yeah."

Skye rolls her eyes at the two. "Enough. Lance, we should get going to the hotel before they think about sending out a search party for us. Bobbi, I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, sure."

"You should really come by the set at some point," Lance says to Bobbi as he slowly backs away. "I could give you the grand tour."

Bobbi quirks a brow. "And would the final stop of said tour be your trailer?"

"It might be."

"Pass."

"Your loss, then, legs." He gives a small shrug before turning around and making his way back over to the shuttle that's going to take the cast to their hotel for the duration of filming.

"Is he always that insufferable?" Bobbi asks.

Skye shrugs. "I haven't known him long enough to have a definitive answer on that. But I'll let you know when I do."

"Good."

"And hey, after I'm all checked in, you and Lincoln should definitely come by the hotel and hang out for a bit."

"I will be sure to pass the message along."

"Awesome." She pulls her friend into another quick hug. "I love you, I'll see you later."

"Yeah. See you later."

Reluctantly pulling out of the hug, she grabs the handle of her bag and pulls it along behind her toward the shuttle. She quickly finds a seat after stowing her bag and lets out a heavy sigh as she sinks down into her seat. Even if it's for work, she loves being home.

.

.

.

"So what's the deal with your friend?"

Skye looks beside her to find Lance stopping next to her at the elevator bank, dragging his suitcase behind him. "What?"

"Your friend," he says, reaching forward to press the button despite the fact that she already pressed it herself before he got there. "The one from the airport. What's the deal between you two?"

"We've been friends since elementary school," Skye tells him. "We're practically sisters at this point and she rivals my mom at being my biggest fan."

Lance nods. "Ah. And is she single?"

Skye quirks a brow as the elevator doors open. "Why? You interested?"

He scoffs and follows her inside the elevator. "Absolutely not. Just making sure there's no poor man already suffering at her hands."

"You barely know her." She hits the button for their floor and then leans back against the wall behind her.

"I know the type."

Skye laughs quietly. "Right. Well, she and my brother are going to come to the hotel later tonight so we can spend some time together. So behave if you want to hang out with us."

"And who says I'd even want to hang out with you lot?"

"Because I've only known you for a short period of time but I can already tell that you always like to know what's going on."

He nods. "Yes, that's true, I do like to know what's going on so I can stay in the loop and no one can take me by surprise. However, I think I'll sit out of tonight's little rendezvous. I need to get my beauty sleep before tomorrow."

Skye laughs, just in time for the elevators opening to save her from a response as Lance steps out onto the floor.

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning," he says, waving to her over his shoulder as he disappears down the hall in search of his room.

Grabbing the handle of her own bag, Skye steps out of the elevator and makes her way down the hallway in search of her own room for the duration of her stay.

As she wheels her bag behind her, she pulls her phone out of her back pocket and unlocks it, going into her messages. She clicks on the most recent one, between her and Bobbi, and taps inside the text box.

**All checked in. Come by whenever you can.**

_Will do. See you soon._

Smiling, she locks the device and slides it back into her pocket just as she reaches her room. She slides her room key into the card reader and then steps inside, letting out a content sigh at the simpleness of the hotel room. The last thing that she wants is a way too fancy hotel room.

.

.

.

"You guys made it," Skye says with a smile as she opens her hotel room door to find her brother and her best friend standing on the other side, smiles on both of their faces. "Come on in." She steps to the side to let them into the room and closes the door behind them.

"Of course we made it," Bobbi says. "Do you really think we'd pass up a chance like this?"

"Nice place," Lincoln says, glancing around the room. "Still don't see why you couldn't just stay at home while you're here, though. Would have been cheaper on the producers."

"It's so that everyone is here together and it's easier to get us to and from the set via shuttle if we're all at the hotel. Or at least something along those lines."

Lincoln nods. "Right. Gotcha." He looks around the room. "Well, this is a pretty nice room."

Skye shrugs, falling down into the bed. "I guess it's okay. I'm definitely not complaining. I think it's because of all the average looking hotel rooms we stayed in growing up whenever we went on vacation."

Lincoln smiles. "Oh, the good old days."

"Indeed they were." She takes a deep breath. "Okay, before the reunion continues, we need a photo to document this momentous occasion," she says as she leans over to grab her phone off the dresser.

"What's so momentous about you being home?" Lincoln asks.

"It's because she's shooting a movie here," Bobbi answers, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Skye points at her friend and smiles. "You are correct. Ten points to Hufflepuff."

Bobbi smiles back proudly.

"You two are so strange," Lincoln tells them as he moves to sit down next to Bobbi.

"Yet you still love us," Bobbi quips back.

"I love Skye because she's my sister. I tolerate you because you're her best friend and are practically my sister as well."

"Enough you two," Skye says to the both of them as she squeezes in between them and holds her phone up in front of her. "Quit bickering and smile."

.

.

_Somehow I wound up getting to shoot a movie in my hometown. So obviously the first thing I had to do was spend time with two of my favorite people in the entire world CallMeBobbi DrLincoln #feelsgoodtobehome #ivemissedyouchitown_

_**IMGrantWard** _ _I see I didn't make the list of favorite people, then. Nice to know where I stand._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _IMGrantWard_   _You dork. First of all, you're not here. Second of all, I said they're two of my favorite people, meaning you could still possibly be on the list_

_**DrLincoln** @_ _SkyesTheLimit @IMGrantWard Just no higher on the list than me, of course. Brothers trump friends any day._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @D_ _rLincoln @IMGrantWard Eh. You're both pretty high up there but I can't say for sure who's above who on the list._

_**CallMeBobbi** @_ _SkyesTheLimit @DrLincoln @GrantWard_   _I think we all know I'm higher on that list than the both of you._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _CallMeBobbi That you are, pretty lady._

_._

_._

_._

"So, today's your first day shooting a new movie."

Skye nods as she finishes pulling her hair up into a messy bun, watching her reflection in the mirror in front of her. "That it is."

"And how are you feeling?"

She tilts her head as she thinks for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure yet. Let you know when I figure it out."

"Think you'll be able to get through it all without me there to hold your hand the whole time?"

She rolls her eyes, glancing down to where her phone lies on the counter. "I think I'll be just fine, Grant, thank you very much. And you didn't have to hold my hand the whole time we shot our movie. I am a grown woman, after all."

"But you're still a Rookie."

She quirks a brow. "Still?"

"Oh, absolutely. You're a Rookie until I say otherwise."

"Is that how it works, then?"

"Definitely. I decide when you are no longer a Rookie, and it honestly might be a few years down the line when I finally decide you no longer need the name."

She rests her hands on the edge of the counter and leans forward a little, despite the call not being a video. "Could be a long time until I'm not a Rookie anymore."

"Exactly. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things work out for you."

"Yeah, I guess we will." She lets out a huff of air as she stands up to check her reflection again. "I should probably go now so I can get to set, though. But I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, of course. Good luck today, Skye."

"Thanks. Bye, Robot."

He chuckles. "Bye."

She lets the call end automatically as she finishes getting herself ready for the day ahead. Thankfully it's not an extremely early call time, but it's still earlier than she would have liked it to be. She's never been a fan of early mornings.

Her phone beeping draws her attention back to the device. She smiles when she sees a new text on the screen from her boyfriend back in LA. Picking up the phone, she looks at the screen and her smile falters at the message.

**Good luck today.**

Well, at least he texted her. But it's so generic. No personalization to it at all.

Grant called her to wish her good luck when she knows he didn't have to be awake yet since he doesn't have any projects to work on at the moment.

But no. She should not be comparing her boyfriend to one of her best friends. That is not a thing that she should be doing.

Breathing in deeply, she sets her phone back down for a moment. She closes her eyes and breathes deeply a couple of times, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Once she's calm, she picks her phone back up, the message from Miles still on the screen, and slides her thumb across to open it.

_Thanks. I love you._

**Love you too.**

.

.

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_**@Skye:** _ _Had tons of fun showing my wonderful co-stars around the great city of Chicago including some of my favorite places from when I was a kid :)_

_**@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye I am very hurt that I didn't get this master tour as well._

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard Maybe if you got cast in this movie too and were in Chicago you could have been part of this tour. But you're a loser, so yeah_

_**@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye You wound me._

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard I think you'll survive_

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_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _I need Grant Ward to go to Chicago and meet Skye's parents. Right now. That's all I need._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Sorry it's been a while. Don't really have an excuse other than work and laziness.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Is it true?" Skye asks eagerly into the receiver of her cell phone, bouncing a little on her heels as she pauses in her pacing, too nervous and excited to be still. She doesn't think she's ever felt like this before.

"Is what true?" Grant asks her on the other end.

"I just got off the phone with Phil and apparently they're planning on making a TV show from our movie? Is it true?"

Grant chuckles. "Yes, it's true. I was talking to Phil earlier as well. Pretty great start to the new year, I'd say."

Skye falls back onto her bed and lets out a sigh, running one hand through her hair. "Wow. This is crazy. Fans must have really wanted more."

"Are you kidding? Of course they did. Or did you not see the response from fans online after the movie was released in theaters? They went nuts, they kept asking if there was going to be a sequel."

"So then why don't they just do another movie? Why did they decide to do a TV show?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Phil said something about being able to do more with a show than a movie."

"Huh. Wow."

"I know."

"So are you going to do the show?" Skye asks him as she pulls herself up so she's leaning back against the headboard, crossing her ankles.

"What do you think? Of course I am."

"Good. Because I'm going to do it too."

"That's good to hear. Because it wouldn't be  _Secret War: Fire and Earth_  without Quake and Hellfire."

"No, it would not. And fans would probably riot. Do you know if they're going to keep the name of the movie for the show or if they're going to change it?"

"I have no idea. If they change it, I'm assuming it'll probably be something similar to the movie title."

"That makes sense. Oh man, this is so exciting!" she says with a wide grin.

"It certainly is."

"Do you know if they have a premise for the show yet?"

"As far as I know they don't. They've just recently decided to do a show and then told me and you today, so I don't think they've come up with a real premise for it just yet. Though I'm sure it'll have something to do with us fighting crime with Felix as our trusty sidekick."

"Do you think it'd be possible to get an entire episode where it's just Felix in the lair on comms, walking us through a mission? Just a whole episode that's from his perspective."

"What?" Grant laughs.

Skye laughs back. "I'm serious, Grant. It would be the best thing ever. And the fans would love it?"

"Yeah, they probably would, now that I really think about it."

Skye smiles into her phone. "I can't wait to see what they're going to do with the show."

"Neither can I. Let's just hope that they do a good job with it. Otherwise, the fans will probably have a lot to say about it. And not in the most positive of ways."

"I'm sure they'll do a great job with it. Especially if Phil works on it since he worked on the movie too and knows all the characters really well."

"You'd better be right, Rookie. And before we get too crazy with the talk about the show, we still don't know if it's actually going to get picked up for a full season. They've only greenlit a pilot, but if that goes well, then they'll pick us up for a full season."

"Really?" Skye asks.

"Yeah," Grant says. "The networks always get a lot of TV pilot pitches, so they greenlight a certain amount of pilots to be shot. Then they pick a certain number from those pilots to be picked up for more episodes."

"Well, then fingers crossed that ours gets picked up."

"Here's to hoping." He breathes in deeply. "While I have you, I meant to ask you before you so rudely spoke first, but did you have a good Christmas?"

She grins. "I did. Christmas at home in Chicago is always fun. The snow is the best part. Until the roads get so bad you can't drive anywhere, but everyone who's lived here long enough is prepared for it."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah. Did you have a good Christmas?"

"For the most part, yeah."

"That's good." She glances up to see Lincoln making weird faces at her from the hallways outside her bedroom door. "Hey, I'm gonna go now because my brother is just asking for a beating right now. Talk later?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Awesome. Have a good rest of your holiday."

"You too."

.

.

 _ **@IMGrantWard:**_   _Happy to say that @Skye and I will definitely be part of the @SecretWarMovie pilot that's just been greenlit. Can't wait to start filming._

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _IMGrantWard so excited to work with you again, loser :) Gonna have so much fun!_

 _ **@IMGrantWard:**_  @ _Skye you betcha, weirdo. Crazy times are upon us once again. :)_

 _ **@Skye:**_  @ _IMGrantWard you know that's right_

.

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 _ **@Skye:**_   _Can't wait to work with some of my favorite people again on the @SecretWarMovie show! Gonna be fun!_

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_**@ATrip:** _ _You can bet that I'm gonna be back for the @SecretWarMovie show. Who's ready for more Michael?_

_._

_._

_**@LeoFitz:** _ _Yes, I will be back for the @SecretWarMovie show. Felix will be back on your screens soon enough._

.

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_**@SecretWarMovie:** _ _Happy to have our affectionately named Core Four back on board for the pilot of our show. Stay tuned. :)_

* * *

Feeling a small pair of hands cover his eyes, Grant smiles to himself as he brings a hand up to his chin, feigning forgetfulness. "Hmm...I wonder who this could be."

"Better not get it wrong, loser."

Grant smiles wider. "Is it Fitz?"

The hands pull away from his eyes and then he feels a surprisingly strong punch to his arm. "Ow!" he yelps, pulling back and covering his arm with his hand. He laughs, rubbing at his arm. "What was that for?"

"For being a dork," Skye tells him as she steps around his chair to stand in front of him.

Grant smiles and nods. "Ah, I see." He takes a deep breath. "So, you excited to be back?"

Skye grins. "Extremely. Though it is going to be a bit different because we're filming a show now instead of a movie."

"It's still going to be fun, though."

Skye nods. "Yes, it is. I think there's even a new person joining us too on the regular. I haven't met her in person yet, just saw her briefly at the read-through, but I heard that her audition was really good." Skye smiles wide. "Ooh! A picture!"

Grant laughs. "It astounds me sometimes how quickly you can move from one subject to another. But yes, let's take a picture."

Grant pulls his phone out of the side pocket of his chair, unlocking it and going into his camera. He clicks on the new photo button and switches the camera to face them and then holds it up. Skye leans in close to him so their cheeks are touching. She reaches up behind him and grabs his cheek in two fingers, pulling slightly and pinching.

"What are you doing?" he asks her.

"Just take the picture," she tells him.

He lets out a sigh but turns back to the camera and snaps the photo. When he pulls his phone down to look, he lets out a laugh. "We look so weird," he tells her.

"Let me see." She grabs his phone out of his hand and holds it in front of her face so she can look at it and then lets out her own laugh. Her fingers are pinching his cheek and his eyes are narrowed, a slight frown on his face. Her eyes are slightly squinted and her lips are pursed.

She laughs. "I love it."

He smiles. "Me too. One of the better ones that we've taken, I think."

She laughs and shakes her head. "You are such a dork."

"Oh, you know you love it," he says.

Skye rolls her eyes at him. "You wish. Now come on, let's go film a pilot." She flashes him a smile before turning and walking toward the set.

"Right behind you!" he calls after her before turning his attention back on his phone.

He smiles down at the photo again before locking his phone, sliding it into the pocket of his set chair, and then following behind his costar.

.

.

.

"Hi." Skye smiles kindly at the raven-haired woman sitting in one of the cast chairs, her script open in her lap, most likely studying her lines again before they shoot their next scene.

The woman looks up at her and gives her a small smile. "Hi."

"We didn't get the chance to officially meet at the table read. What was your name again?"

"Kara. Kara Lynn Palamas."

"Well, Kara, it's nice to officially meet you. I'm Skye." She holds her hand out.

Kara accepts her hand. "Yeah, I know who you are. I loved the movie."

"Thanks. I'm glad you got cast for the show."

"You are?"

Skye nods. "Absolutely. The more the merrier, I think. Have you met the others yet?"

"Um, I think I met Fitz and Trip during the table read because we were sitting by each other. But I haven't actually met Grant Ward yet."

"Just call him Grant when you see him. It helps remind him that he's human and not actually a Greek God. Speaking of which, come on, I'll introduce you to him."

"Oh. Uh, what if he's busy?"

Skye rolls her eyes with a small smile. "It's fine, trust me. He'll love to meet you." She grabs Kara's hand and pulls her from her chair, barely giving the woman enough time to close her script before it falls to the pavement.

She drags Kara all over the studio lot, quickly greeting a few of the crew members as they go.

"Here we are," Skye breathes out when they reach one of the trailers set up on the lot. "Grant's trailer." She climbs onto the steps and knocks on the door twice before pulling it open. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"Skye?"

"Hey, Robot," she says with a smile as she steps up inside. "You busy?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Because I don't believe you've met our newest cast member." She reaches outside and grabs Kara's wrist, pulling the woman up the steps and into the trailer. "Grant, this is Kara Lynn Palamas. Kara, this is Grant."

"Hey," Grant says. "Nice to meet you. I think I actually remember seeing you at the table read. Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself then."

"It's alright," Kara tells him with a small smile. "You two are both pretty busy," she says, glancing between Grant and Skye.

"But we should never be too busy to meet and get to know our fellow actors and actresses," Skye tells her honestly. "It's a shame."

"Hey, Skye?"

She turns toward Grant. "Yeah?"

"Quick question, did you load up on coffee again?"

"What do you expect when we have to be here so early? I need my coffee to survive, you know this."

"Yes, I know. I'm just concerned."

"Well don't be. I'm perfectly fine. I can always dial it back when it's time to do a scene, okay?"

"So long as you don't make me look bad, I'll be okay."

She scoffs. "Oh please, like anything could make you look bad. You're chiseled like a deity." Her eyes go wide when she sees him smirk and then she rolls her eyes. "Don't go getting a big head, that's literally how all of your fans describe you. And you're still a dork."

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_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _You guys! They're starting filming of the pilot today! Agh! Please please please someone greenlight them for a full season. I think I'll die if you don't._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! We're getting closer to the end now. Thanks for sticking around as long as you have. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"You know, I'm not sure if I've ever been this nervous before," Skye mutters as she paces back and forth in front of Grant's bed, wringing her hands together and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Really?" Grant responds with a raised brow.

She nods. "Yeah."

"Me either."

Skye looks over at her friend and co-star with deeply furrowed brows at his confession. "Wait, really?"

He nods. "Yeah."

She stops pacing and moves closer to the bed, leaning her legs against the edge of it. "But you've been doing this stuff for years."

"True. But I've never waited on news like this before. I've never been the lead on a TV show, just had some guest starring roles here and there over the years, so I've never had to deal with the anxiety of finding out if we get a full season pickup or not."

"Right. Well, this is absolutely terrifying."

Grant nods in agreement. "It most certainly is. What sucks even more about it is that we don't know who Phil is going to call about it first. My best guess is that he's going to call one of us first since we're the leads. And then probably the rest of the main cast after us. And then the writers so they can start working on fleshing out the timeline and plotline of the season. Unless he calls the writers first so they can actually start writing the first script."

She tilts her head as she watches him. "You seem to have thought a lot about this, huh?"

He shrugs. "I like to think I've thought the normal amount about it."

"Uh-huh. And where, in your vast robot brain, do you store all of those deep thoughts?"

"Ha, ha, you're hilarious."

She smiles. "I know. It's one of my better qualities."

He laughs quietly, shaking his head at her antics. He opens his mouth to respond when a high pitched trill cuts him off.

Skye jumps for his phone lying on the mattress of the bed but he beats her to it, picking up the phone and hitting the answer call button. He holds the device up to his ear, leaning away from Skye teasingly when she tries to get closer to him to hear the call.

"Hello?"

"Grant? It's Phil Coulson."

He relents in his teasing, pulling the phone away from his ear and hitting the speaker button. "Hey, Phil. You're on speaker. Skye's here too."

The brunette leans toward the phone. "Hi, Phil."

"Two birds with one stone, then. I like this."

"Have you heard anything from the studios yet?" Skye asks him eagerly, bouncing a little on the bed in anticipation.

"I have."

"And? What did they say?"

"Well, they gave me the news that we have officially been greenlit for a full season run this fall."

Grant flinches when Skye screeches and then nearly tackles him in a hug.

"Seriously?" Skye asks, leaning toward the phone with her arms still around Grant. "You're not joking around?"

"Absolutely serious," Phil tells her. "I just got the news myself."

"Wow. This is great," Grant says.

"This is more than just great," Skye replies. "This is freaking amazing. Are we allowed to post about this yet?" she asks. "Because I really don't know how long I can keep this to myself."

"I'm not sure. You may have to wait until an official announcement is made," Phil tells her.

"Okay. Thanks for letting us know, Phil."

"Of course. Now just to call Fitz, Trip, and Kara to let them know about the pickup."

"Right," Skye says with a nod of her head. "You should definitely get on that because I've already started coming up with what I'm going to tweet and I need to at least write it out before I forget."

Phil laughs. "Alright. I'll get off the phone now and call them. I'll talk to you guys soon for logistics and things."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, Phil."

The call ends and Grant locks his phone, looking over to see Skye already on her phone, Twitter open on the screen.

"Someone's eager."

She glances up at him quickly. "Pff, obviously I am. I'll just have to save it in a draft for later."

He nods once, unlocking his phone again and going into Twitter. "Then I'll join you."

.

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_**@Skye:** _ _WE'RE BACK! @SecretWarriors has been officially greenlit and will start filming as soon as possible, so stay tuned!_

_**@Skye:** _ _So excited to jump back into playing Daisy and discover more of her history with all of you. :)_

_._

_._

_**@IMGrantWard:** _ _Get ready to see JT back on your screens soon in @SecretWarriors! We're all so thrilled to bring you more from these awesome characters._

_._

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_**@LeoFitz** _ _: Stoked to be back as Felix when @SecretWarriors premieres in the fall. See you then._

_._

_._

_**@ATrip:** _ _Beyond excited to be coming back to your screens as the devilishly handsome Michael Anderson. We're gonna have some fun._

_._

_._

_**@KaraLynn:** _ _So blessed to be able to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing project like @SecretWarriors._

_**@KaraLynn:** _ _Can't wait to bring some amazing stories to your screens every week. Stay tuned! :)_

.

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_**@SecretWarMovie:** _ _Have you missed seeing your favorite duo in action? Then make sure you tune into @SecretWarriors this fall on @ABCNetwork._

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_**@SecretWarriors:** _ _You better get ready. Your favorite crime-fighting duo is back. #Quakefire  
_ _**@SecretWarriors:** _ _We're coming at you this fall on @ABCNetwork with a 22 episode season and we can't wait to show you what we have in store._

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"This is the best day ever!"

Skye laughs into the receiver of her phone as she steps into her apartment, nudging the door closed behind her. "I take it you saw my latest tweet."

"And Grant's. And the rest of the cast. I just followed Kara Lynn Palamas since she's a regular on the show now too. She seems fun. I'm so excited for you guys. This is amazing."

"Thanks. It feels pretty damn great to be able to play Daisy again. We don't start filming until about mid-July, though, so we've still got some time to relax until I have to start going to work on the show. However, I'm pretty sure that they want me and Grant to do a bunch of training or whatnot for the show, so that's going to be fun."

"Well, hey, you've always wanted to get better at personal fitness, now's your chance."

Skye sighs heavily, falling down onto the couch. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm just not super excited about how gross and sweaty I'm gonna get. And how sore I'm going to be too. That won't be fun."

"But you're gonna look great on camera when the time comes to start shooting," Bobbi tells her.

She tilts her head in thought. "Yeah, that's true."

"And I bet Grant is going to get pretty buff too."

"I'm sure he will," she says back, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible while forcing her brain not to think about Grant being shirtless in any capacity. Sure, she's seen him shirtless before on screen from various films that he's done, but so has every other woman on the planet who is a fan of his. She's not exactly special in that regard.

"Hey, Skye, you still there?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm still here." She forces herself to focus back on her best friend's voice.

"Good. I thought you zoned out on me for a minute there."

"I did a little bit, but I'm back."

"Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere," she replies, really not needing her friend to know about where her thoughts went. He's her costar, and one of her best friends, she cannot be thinking about him like that. Ever.

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_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _I am so ready to see more of @IMGrantWard and @Skye on my TV. I can't wait for @SecretWarriors._

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _I looked at @KaraLynn's Insta too. She seems adorable and I can't wait to see who she's playing on @SecretWarriors. New fan right here. :)_

_**@KaraLynn: @** _ _AnnikaDavila Thank you. I can't wait for you to meet my character. :)_

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_**gears-of-ward posted** _

_Ahhhh! They got picked up for a whole season! Yes! This is the best day ever!_

_Also...the official show twitter used their ship name and I am living!_

_#grant ward #skye #skyeward #daisyjohnson #jtjames #quakefire #secret warriors #this is the best day ever_

**14 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Got a new chapter for ya! I know I already updated this week, but I felt like updating again.
> 
> Enjoy!

Letting out a heavy yawn, Skye steps up inside the hair and makeup trailer, a travel mug of hot coffee held securely in one hand. She drops her bag by one of the empty chairs and then falls down into it, releasing another yawn before taking a sip from her mug. Her body starts relaxing into the chair as she drinks it, every muscle loosening up and her nerves calming down.

"Still trying to wake up?"

Jumping in her chair at the voice coming from right beside her, she manages to hang onto her mug, preventing it from falling and spilling everywhere in the trailer. Turning her head, she narrows her eyes at the man sitting in the chair next to hers. "Seriously, Grant? What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that to a person?"

Grant chuckles quietly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me."

"You jumped."

"I was startled. Not scared. Big difference."

He nods, a small laugh still on his lips. "Right, okay."

"How are you so chipper in the mornings?" she asks him, leaning forward to set her coffee down on the counter in front of her. "I'm on my second cup of coffee and I'm still not fully awake yet." She lets out a huff of air as she leans back in her chair.

He shrugs. "I've always been a morning person."

"Of course you have."

He tilts his head. "We've worked together before. How are you just now figuring out that I'm always awake and alert in the mornings?"

She waves him off, focusing on the screen of her phone. "I don't know, probably because it was always so early. Most things this early tend to slip from my mind fairly quickly."

"Duly noted. And please don't overload on the coffee, okay?"

"I make no promises."

"Good morning, my subjects."

Skye looks up from her phone and smiles at the makeup artist entering the trailer. "Hey, Carla."

"I know I told you on the pilot, but I know we're both glad to have you back on board, Carla," Grant tells the woman.

The woman rolls her eyes. "As if I'd let anyone else do your makeup as JT and Daisy. It's a ridiculous thought that I don't even care to entertain."

Grant laughs quietly. "Yeah, I guess it might be."

"Oh, I found someone wandering around the set a minute ago and they decided to follow me here." She steps to the side and Max enters the trailer, immediately walking up to Grant and nudging his arm.

Grant smiles down at his dog, running a hand through his fur. "Hey, boy. I was wondering where you got to. Getting yourself familiar with the new set, then, huh?"

Max barks and nudges him again.

"And hey, look. It's the only other person you love beside me." He points in Skye's direction and waits for Max to turn around and see her. She can't help the smile she gets.

The German Shepherd turns around and darts to the other chair, immediately putting his front paws up in Skye's lap, barking softly at her.

"Hey, Max," she says, scratching the dog behind the ears with a wide smile. "I've missed you, you handsome boy." She leans down to kiss his nose.

"He has definitely missed you too, from the looks of it," Grant says with an amused smile.

"And for good reason. We are the absolute best of friends. Aren't we, Max?" She laughs as Max extends his body to lick her face in excitement.

"Well that's just great," Carla speaks up. "Now I've got to clean your face off even more before I put makeup on it. Way to go, Max." She grabs a wet wipe and immediately wipes the dog slobber from Skye's cheeks.

"Hey, let's take a picture first," Grant says to Skye, pulling his phone out and unlocking it.

Skye smiles at the suggestion. "Absolutely." She stands from her seat and walks over to him, leaning down over the back of his chair. She places her forearms on his shoulders, resting her chin on the top of his head and smiling into the camera.

Grant smiles into the camera as well, pressing the capture button and then pulling the phone down to examine the photo. She stays near him, hoping that he didn't hear or feel how hard her heart was pounding.

"That's a good one," he says, pulling her out of her head. "Now get off me." He swats playfully at her until she moves back to her own chair.

"Fine, fine, Mr. Grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy."

"Could have fooled me."

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_About to begin our transformations into some very familiar faces. Let the crazy antics commence. Again. #SecretWarriors #partnersincrime #backatit #daisyjohnson #jtjames_

_**CallMeBobbi** _ _I don't think you guys understand just how excited I am for this show._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _CallMeBobbi Trust me when I say that we both know you're probably the person who's most excited for this. Besides us._

_**DrLincoln** _ _Many of my coworkers are obsessed with the movie and when they realized you're my sister they started asking me all sorts of questions and I have no idea what to tell them._

_**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _DrLincoln Simple. You tell them nothing because you know nothing._

_**DrLincoln** @_ _SkyesTheLimit right, of course._

_._

_._

_._

"The first day is almost done," Skye remarks as she falls down into her set chair with a heavy sigh, the quiet sound of Grant's chuckling filling her ears. She tilts her head to look over at him. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you look exhausted and it's adorable."

"I'm so tired I might actually fall asleep right here."

"No one's stopping you from doing so."

"It's too noisy," she says, her nose scrunching up as she glances around at the various machines running and people milling around doing their jobs.

"I thought you could sleep through anything, anywhere."

"Usually I can," she tells him. "Sometimes I can't."

"Can't what?" Kara asks as she approaches them, sitting down in her own set chair and grabbing her phone out of the side pocket.

Grant shifts a little in his chair to look at his costar. "Back when we were filming the movie, Skye told me that she could sleep anywhere, through anything. And now she's saying that she's tired, but it's too noisy for her to fall asleep right here."

"It is kind of noisy," Kara agrees, glancing around the set once before looking back at her costars. "I could see why someone wouldn't be able to fall asleep through it."

"Thank you," Skye says, smiling at Kara before looking pointedly at Grant.

"But," Kara continues, "if somebody claims to be able to sleep through anything, then this shouldn't be a problem for them."

Skye narrows her eyes playfully. "Traitor."

Kara holds her hands up in defense. "Hey, calm down. I'm not really looking to get into the middle of some unresolved sexual tension type of thing. You two figure this out on your own." She stands from the chair with a smile, turning on her heel to go off to another part of the set.

"She totally took the easy way out of that question," Skye remarks as she watches the other woman walk away. "Hey, where's Max?"

"Probably getting himself more familiar with the set and the people. Thankfully, just about everyone in the industry knows that I bring Max to set with me, so it's not an issue when they see him walking around without me."

"It helps that he's probably the most well-behaved dog that I've ever seen."

Grant smiles. "Yeah, that's a pretty good perk. I just wish he was a little more friendly toward everyone he meets. Not that he's outwardly aggressive toward anyone in particular except for Kebo..."

"Understandably so."

Grant huffs out a laugh. "But I just wish he was a little nicer to other people."

Skye breathes in deeply as she shifts in her seat, sitting up a little taller. "Well, all I really care about is that he loves me and I love him and we have a very special bond that can't ever be broken."

_._

_._

_._

_**nikka001 posted** _

_Not gonna lie, at first I thought he wrote 'back a tit'_

_#Grant Ward #why does my brain do these things_

**12 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter! I'm gonna try to update this story more often than I have been because we're getting close to the end and I can't wait for you all to read the last few chapters. Also because I have a sequel or sorts planned out for this, I just have to finish up a few things with it first before I start posting. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"You good?" Grant asks Skye as they stand backstage at their first-ever Comic-Con panel, listening to the crowd watch exclusive, never-been-seen footage from the pilot episode of their show. Trip, Fitz, and Kara had snuck out onto the edge of the stage in the darkness to watch the screen with the crowd. He and Skye had opted to stay back, Skye stating that she didn't want to accidentally knock something over or do something stupid and draw attention to them. He'd chosen to stay back with her to keep her company during the video.

"Hey, Skye. You good?" he asks again, this time managing to get her attention.

She looks up at him. "Hmm? What?"

He cracks a small smile. "I asked if you're good."

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm good. Totally good."

"You sure? You seem a little pale."

"I'm fine, really. Just trying to psyche myself up for my first Comic-Con panel. Totally not nerve-wracking at all."

"You'll be fine," he assures her with a hand on her shoulder. "There is absolutely nothing to be nervous about."

"Grant's right," Trip says as he and the others join them backstage again. "Don't worry about being nervous. Just be yourself. The fans will love you no matter what."

She gives him a small smile. "Thanks, Trip."

"Anytime."

"Guys, you're almost on," one of the Comic-Con workers tells them, indicating for them to get lined up in the order that they'll be announced to go out.

He stands at the end of the line with Skye, listening as the moderator speaks.

"So, how would you like to meet the cast now?" The crowd responds with a cheer, louder than any other time before. "Well, that's good, because they're all backstage waiting to meet you guys. First up, please welcome to the stage Creator and Executive Producer, Phil Coulson."

The crowd cheers as Phil walks out onto the stage, smiling and waving to the crowd. He takes his seat next to the moderator's podium.

"Next, we have our other Executive Producer, the lovely Melinda May." The crowd cheers as Melinda walks out onto the stage and sits down in the chair next to Phil, waving to the crowd.

"You met our first character in the movie and many of you want to be his best friend. He's the quirky, yet completely lovable, police liaison to our heroes, Michael Anderson, it's Antoine Triplett." Everyone cheers even louder as Trip runs onto the stage, a wide, happy grin on his face. He takes his seat next to Melinda, waving out at the crowd and pumping them up.

"Next up, he's the only one who knows the superheroes secret and deals with all of their tech and runs back-end on all of their missions. He's the guy all the girls instantly fell in love with; it's Felix Daniels, Leo Fitz." Everyone cheers once again, the women louder than the men, as the Scotsman makes his way onto the stage, waving to the crowd. He sits down next to Trip, greeting the other man in a friendly hug.

"Our next guest is a new addition to the group. You saw her a bit in the pilot and she's sure to bring something awesome to this show; she's playing the super savvy journalist who spends most of her time writing about our two heroes' escapades. It's Sandra Call, also known as the lovely Kara Lynn Palamas." The room cheers again as Kara makes her way out onto the stage, smiling warmly at the crowd. She sits down next to Fitz and gives him a quick hug in greeting.

"That's everyone for ya." The moderator smiles, causing the crowd to shout at him. Grant just laughs. "Am I missing somebody?" The crowd shouts again. "Oh, right. Of course. How could I forget?" He pauses and shifts on his feet. "He is one half of your favorite superhero team with the ability to summon and control the fires of hell. You know and love him as JT James, please welcome Grant Ward!"

He can't help the wide smile that he gets as he makes his way onto the stage, listening to everyone cheering for him. He has his cell phone raised up in front of him, recording the excited crowd as he enters. He sits down next to Kara, lowering his phone but keeping the video going.

"I love you, Grant!" someone yells from within the crowd when it quiets down.

Grant leans toward his mic. "I love you too."

The moderator smiles. "And last but most certainly not least. She is the other half of this amazing crime-fighting duo with the ability to feel and manipulate vibrations for anything on the planet. She's Daisy Johnson, please welcome Skye!"

The room erupts into loud cheers again as Skye makes her way onto the stage, a giddy smile on her face. Grant grins as he holds his phone up, watching Skye make her Comic-Con debut. He couldn't be more proud.

As soon as she sits down next to him, he stops the video and switches to the photo setting. He holds his phone up to Skye and the two lean in closer for a quick selfie, making a few goofy faces at the camera.

"Before we get started," the moderator says once the cheering has died down a little, "I just want to say that that episode was ridiculous." The crowd cheers in agreement. "I think I speak for pretty much everyone in the room when I say that we can't wait for the rest of this show to air." The crowd cheers again and Grant can't help but smile.

He only partially zones out when the moderator says the first question is for the Producers. He pays attention just enough to answer if he's spoken to, but he's also having fun just being on the panel. The lights are really bright so it's hard to see most of the crowd, but he knows there's a lot of people out there. The cheering made him well aware of that.

He occupies his time that he's not answering questions talking to Skye. Well, whispering things to her, being careful to not get anywhere near the microphones, and trying to make her laugh. She just shoves his face away, the beginnings of a laugh on her lips. He counts it as a win. He wants her to have fun today, to not be so worked up and worried. He's pretty sure he's succeeding.

He tunes back in completely just in time to hear the moderator addressing the entire panel and not just their producers.

"...and I want each of you to give just a few words to the crowd about what it's like working on this show. We'll start at this end with the producers."

Melinda leans forward, thinking for a moment. "Paperwork and phone calls."

Phil pulls his microphone toward him. "It's not work if you love it." The crowd cheers.

Trip smiles. "Good times and late nights."

"I love America," Fitz says in his thick Scottish accent. The crowd cheers even louder.

Kara leans forward. "Instant family and friends." The crowd awws and Grant gives Kara a quick side hug. They became pretty fast friends once they started working on the show.

After the hug, Grant leans toward his own mic and smiles wickedly. "Teasing and…"

"...torturing fans," Skye finishes for him, no real prompting from him necessary. That's how well they know each other by now.

He leans back in his chair and holds his hand up for a high five which she gives him. Oh, how true their words were.

"Alright," the moderator says. "Now Kara."

"Yes, Jeff?"

"You said, instant family and friends. Is that really what it was like coming into this as a new character as well as a new member of an established cast?"

Kara nods her head and pulls her mic a little closer. "Oh definitely. I was really nervous at first about joining this cast, because everyone up here has known each other for so long already since they worked together on the movie. I was worried I was just going to be an outsider in a manner of speaking. But it was the complete opposite. In fact, our first day on set filming the pilot, Skye dragged me from my chair and all the way to Grant's trailer to introduce us."

Skye shrugs as the audience snickers. "They hadn't met yet."

"It's been pretty wonderful working with these guys so far; they treat me as if I've been a part of the cast from the very beginning of the movie."

"That's great to hear. Now my last question, before I turn it over to the fans, is for Fitz."

"Hello, Jeff," Fitz says into his microphone and Grant can't help but chuckle when loud cheers from the women in the audience are heard.

"Hello. So, Fitz, every woman in the world wants to date you. What's that like?"

All the women in the room cheer and scream again, making Fitz smile this time.

"Well, Jeff, I like to think of it as they want to date my character, because that's who they see on the screen. Although the number of letters I get from the fans would probably want to disagree with that. But it's been great having so many people love my character. It just means I've done my job well." He smiles and sits back in his chair.

"Great answers. Now, I think we're going to turn things over to our fans now and let them ask you all some questions. Can we have our first question please?"

A young man steps up to the microphone, clearly cosplaying as a character that Grant doesn't recognize. "Hello. So, I'm a really big fan of the movie and after watching that first episode I'm really excited to see what the rest of the show will be like. My question is, besides those of you on the panel, is there anyone else from the movie we're going to see on the show?"

"That is an excellent question," Phil replies. "And the answer to that is yes. You will be seeing a few people you recognize from the movie, as well as a handful of new characters we're excited for you all to meet."

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.

"Alright," the moderator says sometime later, "unfortunately, we only have time for two more questions today. So let's try to make them good ones."

They'd been having a lot of fun answering questions that the fans have asked, one by one. Some of the questions were directed at a single person or a pair, others were for the entire cast. His favorites were the ones directed toward him, of course. Or the ones directed at Skye where she stumbled over her answer and got a little flustered. He found it adorable and definitely took a few photos and videos to document the moment.

"Hi there," the young woman at the microphone says. "My question is for Phil and Melinda. What was the first thing that went through your mind when you cast each of these awesome actors?"

Melinda smiles. "Another excellent question."

"Yes," Phil agrees with a nod. "Each of these actors definitely brought something unique to the show and the audition process. From the ones up here, Kara was the only one we saw do an audition for the show. And we knew from the moment we saw her that she'd be a great addition to the group. She's one of those people who can convey so many different things with just a single look. And that's an amazing skill to find in an actor."

"With Trip and Fitz," Melinda begins, "those two were pretty fun auditions. Trip was super energetic and happy the entire time, before and after his audition. But as soon as it was time for him to read his audition, he snapped right into the persona he needed for that particular scene. And Fitz, he was just completely lovable right from the get-go. Super sweet and awkward in a good way, of course. We knew he'd be a good tech genius for our superheroes. And that he'd be a big hit with the fans." Melinda smiles.

"And then there were two," Phil says deeply into his microphone. Then he sits up and speaks more cheerily, "Grant and Skye were definitely an interesting audition. We didn't have Grant do an actual audition because we knew we wanted him for the part from the very beginning when we were planning the movie. But Skye showed up for the chemistry read after a few callbacks. She was one of our top choices because we really liked what she brought to the character. And then when we saw Grant and Skye reading together we knew right then and there that they were the perfect people for these roles. Their chemistry was incredible from that first moment and we had a feeling they'd be a big hit. Thank goodness that feeling was right."

Jeff smiles and takes a deep breath. "And now for our final question."

"Hi there," the young girl at the microphone speaks up. "My question is for Grant and Skye. After watching the movie, a lot of us really want JT and Daisy to get together. My friend and I even started a blog dedicated to the pairing and have actually turned some of our friends onto the ship and now they're hardcore shippers. We're all really excited to be getting so much more of the two of them during the show. So my question is what are your thoughts on Quakefire?"

"Well for me," Skye says, beating him to answering the question, "I really love the dynamic that these two have. In the movie, even though they didn't know each other when they first discovered their abilities, there was still a deep sense of connection there; they both went through this huge change and they're the only two who know how the other might be feeling so there's a sort of reluctant understanding between them. They really, truly care about one another, even if they have a hard time showing it sometimes." She laughs quietly. "And I'm really happy to get to explore more of their connection throughout the course of however long our show gets to be on." She sits back before quickly leaning forward again. "Also, they'd be really hot together. Pun completely intended."

The entire hall bursts into laughter and cheers.

Grant chuckles, leaning forward to give his own to the question. "What do I think about this ship? Well, a ship has to have a captain, right?" The room applauds loudly.

Skye leans forward again. "You'll have to fight me for that title, Grant."

He nods his head at her. "You are a very worthy opponent." Then he turns back to the girl and gives her a small smile. "I think that the relationship between JT and Daisy is a very unique one and I'm really excited to get to see how it develops throughout the show for however long we're lucky to be on the air for. Thank you so much for your question. And thanks for being such a big fan."

The girl gives him one last smile and wave before turning from the mic and heading back to her seat.

"Alright," the moderator speaks up. "Unfortunately, that is all the time we have today with this wonderful group of people. But you can catch them every week on your TV, starting Tuesday, September 19th, at 8 pm on ABC."

.

.

.

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _They ship it! They ship it! Skyeward ships Quakefire! I feel so damn validated right now. Suck it, haters!_

_._

_._

**kathrinaelisabeth posted**

_Oh, I wish I could have been at Comic-Con today for the 'Secret Warriors' panel. I have so many questions I would have asked._

_#Skye #Grant Ward #Comic Con #Secret Warriors_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Things get a little...interesting in this chapter. Read on to find out what I mean.
> 
> Enjoy!

Skye laughs heartily as she walks into her apartment, her cell phone pressed up against her ear with her shoulder, allowing her to unlock the door with a little more ease. "I can't believe you actually said that. You are such an idiot."

"Hey, it's not my fault that she took it so seriously," Grant says on the other end, a small laugh in his voice.

"Maybe not entirely." She closes the door behind her and locks it. "But you're still an idiot for saying it."

"Yeah, yeah, what else is new? I'm going to go now, okay?"

"Ooh, got a hot date?" she teases, setting her keys down on her counter and toeing off her shoes. She drops her bag just inside the door.

"Kind of."

She leans back against the wall, crossing one arm casually across her chest. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I'm uh, I'm having dinner with Jemma Simmons tonight."

Skye's eyes go wide. "Wait. Jemma Simmons the model? Didn't the two of you used to date?"

"Yeah, we did."

"I remember seeing pictures of you two in the magazines and online all the time. How come you guys broke up?" she asks him as she pushes off the wall and steps into the kitchen for a drink. "I don't think the story that was printed was ever very clear. There was a lot of implying of stuff but nothing super concrete."

"We kept things vague for a reason," Grant tells her. "She's actually the one who broke up with me. Her mom got really sick and she wanted to go back home to be there for her family and help out since it was just her dad taking care of her mom. She didn't know how long she'd be gone, so she took a break from modeling and ended things between us so we wouldn't have to try and deal with the whole long-distance thing. But we stayed friends, kept in touch here and there while she's been away."

"Well, that's good, I guess. And are you guys going to get back together now that she's back in the States?" She takes a sip from her cup of juice. She'd rather have coffee but doesn't want to take the time to wait for it to brew.

He takes a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know. She just got back to LA this weekend and she's been taking her time settling back in, talking to some of her contacts to see if she can start working again with some of the companies she used to model for. But she wants to meet with me so we can catch up in person. If something happens, then great."

Skye smiles into her phone. "Well, good for you."

"Thanks. I do really have to go now so I can get ready."

"Right. Of course. See you tomorrow?"

"We have work, so obviously."

"Duh. See you then."

"Yeah, see ya."

Hanging up her phone, Skye sets it down on the counter and then makes her way into the living room to see Miles sitting on her couch watching TV, the remote held in one hand as he surfs through the channels. His feet are resting up on the coffee table and he looks so at ease and comfortable she can't help but smile.

"Hey." She walks over and leans down over the back of the couch to plant a kiss to his lips.

He smiles up at her. "Hey. Who was on the phone?"

"Just Grant," she tells him as she falls down next to him on the couch. "How long have you been here?"

Miles shrugs, shifting a little on the couch cushion. "A couple of hours. I got done early with some work stuff and I wanted to talk. I wasn't sure when you'd be home, so I just came straight over. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is, you know that. So what do you want to talk about?" she asks, shifting on the couch to get more comfortable.

He lifts the remote and shuts the TV off, sitting up fully and turning to face her. "Do you love me?"

"What?" She furrows her brows tightly. "What the hell kind of a question is that?"

"A simple one, Skye. It's a yes or no question. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do," she assures him, placing her hand on his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze, her heart starting to race at the implications of his question and the look on his face. "What would make you think that I don't?"

He looks down at the carpet, not saying a word and her confusion just deepens, her heart beating quicker. He never gets like this. In all the time she's known him, he's never been like this. Not once.

"Miles, seriously. Why on earth would you think that I don't love you?"

"Grant," he says, his jaw hard as he looks up at her.

She's a bit taken aback by his answer. "What?"

"Grant Ward," he repeats.

Her heart skips involuntarily but she does her best to ignore it. "What does Grant have anything to do with this?"

"I know you have feelings for him," he accuses, standing up quickly from the couch and taking a few steps away from her. Her heart sinks a little at the indication of it.

"I do not have feelings for him," she says back, turning so she can face him, remaining in her spot on the couch. "Wherever you heard that you heard wrong."

"Maybe I didn't," he continues. "You're always with him—"

"Because we work together."

"—and he's always making you laugh and smile—"

"Because he's funny."

"—you're always on the phone with him or texting him—"

"Because we're friends."

"—and I see the way you look at each other."

She shakes her head. "I don't know what you mean by that."

He spins around quickly to face her. "The way you two look at each other, Skye. That's how I've always looked at you, since the first time I saw you."

"Miles—"

"Skye, please. Let me say this."

She nods her head silently, a few tears already starting to build in her eyes at the thought of where this conversation is going to end. She doesn't want it to, but she has a feeling that nothing she does will change the outcome, that his mind is already made up.

He takes a deep, shaky breath in, looking right at her. "I love you, Skye. And I know you say that you love me too, but in all honesty, can you really see us having any kind of a future together? I know that I can, but I don't want to be the only one that's invested in this relationship. We've been together for a while and it's been really great, I won't lie about that. We've definitely had a lot of great times together. But I also don't want to keep you trapped in this relationship if you don't really want to be with me. I know that you're not as invested in this relationship as I am. I thought that we had something special here. But obviously, we don't. Not anymore."

"Is this you breaking up with me?" she asks him somewhat quietly.

He nods his head. "Yeah, it is. I know you aren't happy with us anymore. I tried to ignore everything I saw for as long as I could, but I just can't do it anymore, Skye. I can't."

"Miles, please. Don't do this. I love you."

"But you're not  _in love_ with me," he states, a frown on his face. "It's fine. Or, it will be. Eventually."

"I don't have feelings for Grant," she tells him earnestly, though very deep down she knows she's not being completely honest with herself.

"Stop lying to yourself, Skye. I know that you do."

"So we're really over?" she asks instead of trying to deny it again, knowing it won't do any good at this point.

Miles nods his head. "Yeah, we are. And now you're free to pursue the man you really want to be with."

She shrugs. "Maybe so. But it's not like it'd make much of a difference."

"Why's that?"

"Because he might be getting back together with his ex-girlfriend tonight."

"What?"

Skye sighs. "He's having dinner with her tonight because she just got back into town after being away for a few years. He said that if things go well, then maybe they'll get back together. So it's probably pointless for me to go after him at this point."

"I'm sorry," Miles says and she knows he's being sincere. "Even if you can't be with Grant, I'm sure there's someone else out there who will feel as lucky to have you as I have been."

Skye smiles softly at him. "That person can't be you?"

He smiles sadly. "I think we both know we're a lost cause now. There's no going back to what we used to be. We kind of fizzled out. I just…I hope we can still be friends down the line."

"Yeah, sure. And hey, you know if you ever need someone for one of your indie films, you can always count on me. Whether we're together or not."

He smiles. "Thanks. I'll come by a bit later to get whatever of my things I have here." He steps toward the door.

"Okay." She follows him to the door and waves to him as he makes his way down the hallway.

Once the door is closed, Skye grabs her phone off the counter, immediately unlocking it and dialing a familiar number as she makes her way back to the couch. She swallows thickly as she waits for the call to connect. It's times like these when she really wishes that she were back in Chicago or Bobbi was with her in LA. Conversations like this are much better in person rather than over the phone.

"Hey, pretty lady."

"Hi, Bobbi." She falls down onto the couch with a sigh, pulling her legs up underneath her and sinking as far down into the couch as she can get.

"Whoa. I know that voice. What's going on?"

"Miles and I just broke up."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

She nods, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her t-shirt. "I know. I mean, technically he's the one that broke up with me, but I think we left things on okay-ish terms."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Neither of us yelled at each other. I mean, he kind of raised his voice a few times. But he also seemed pretty hurt by the idea that I don't love him like he loves me. I've been with him for so long that it's just kind of weird to think about not being with him anymore."

"That makes sense. Did he say why he broke up with you, though? Or did it just come out of nowhere?"

She shifts a little, biting her lip between her teeth. "Um, he accused me of having feelings for Grant."

"And do you?"

"Bobbi!"

"What? Is it wrong of me to ask you that?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"No, it isn't. So do you have feelings for him or not?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"Well, you should probably figure it out before it ends up being too late."

She sighs. "Yeah, believe me, I know."

* * *

"Today is a great day."

Skye glances up from her phone to see Grant standing just inside the makeup trailer, Max dutifully at his side as always, the tiniest hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh really," she replies with a small smile, looking up at him as she takes a slow sip from her coffee. "And why would that be?"

"Because Jemma and I got back together last night," he tells her with a wide smile.

Her smile falters but she manages to keep it in place, though it no longer reaches up to her eyes. She hopes he didn't notice. "That's awesome," she tells him, trying her best to sound as sincere as possible.

"Yeah." He sighs happily as he falls down into his makeup chair. Max immediately curls up in front of Grant's chair by his feet. "We were at dinner last night and we were talking about the most random stuff. It was like we hadn't even been apart for very long at all. After a while, I asked her if she had started seeing anyone while she was away. She said no and then asked me pretty much the same thing. I said no and we both decided to give us another try."

"Wow. That's really great, Grant. Congratulations."

He smiles. "Thanks. And hey, maybe we can go on a double date sometime; you and Miles, and me and Jemma."

"Yeah, that uh, that sounds like a great idea."

"What's wrong?" he asks her.

She shakes her head. "Nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?"

"I know you better than you think I do after being friends for this long, Skye. I know something's wrong. So out with it."

"Miles and I broke up," she tells him, feeling the tears springing up to her eyes despite how hard she fights against them.

"What? I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," she says, wiping quickly at her eyes. "We uh, we...discussed things and figured out we'll be better off with other people. He uh, he said he loves me, but he could tell that I wasn't completely invested in our relationship anymore."

"Were you?"

"I was when we were first together. But I guess things just started to uh, fizzle out, as time went by. We kind of started drifting apart little by little."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry the two of you ended things. You always looked so happy with him."

She gives him a small smile. "Thanks, Grant."

He smiles back. "You're welcome. But you shouldn't be too down about this for too long, I'm sure you'll find someone just as wonderful as you are who loves you and won't ever let you go." He smiles at her before turning around in his chair to face the mirror.

Skye just looks at him sadly and then speaks quietly under her breath, "Yeah, maybe."

.

.

.

**kathrinaelisabeth posted**

_Guuuuuuys! They unfollowed each other on Twitter and Instagram! Did they break up? Is she free to pursue other options? I need to know! Now!_

_#Skye #what the hell is going on?_

**12 notes**

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.

**nikka001 posted**

_Pretty sure I saw something someone else posted about Grant Ward holding hands with Jemma Simmons the other day. The last anyone knew they broke up when she left for the UK a few years ago. Does this mean that Skyeward isn't happening?_

_Tumblr sleuths, it's time for you to get to work. Find out what's going on. We're all counting on you._

_#Grant Ward #Jemma Simmons #Skye #what's happening?_

**15 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> How about that plot twist? Huh? Couldn't let it be that easy for them, now could I? :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, babes! Because it's a day to celebrate love, and I love you all for reading my stories, I decided to post a new chapter for you.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Bobbi!" Skye calls through the large crowd, waving her hand in the air to get her best friends' attention across the airport floor. She bounces a little on her feet to aid in her calls.

The woman in question turns toward Skye and a wide smile grows on her face. She rushes across the airport floor to her friend and immediately pulls her into a tight hug.

"Oh I've missed you so much," Bobbi tells her, her arms wrapped tightly around Skye.

Skye smiles, hugging her back just as tightly. "Me too." She pulls out of the hug and looks up at her best friend. "How was your flight?"

"Pretty good, actually. I don't know if I've told you recently how much I still highly dislike the fact that you moved to LA. You're too far away from me."

Skye rolls her eyes but lets a small smile grace her lips. "I know, you tell me that all the time, every chance you get. But that doesn't matter, because you are here for the entire week, I love you very much, and we are going to have such an amazing time while you're here."

"You have to work while I'm here, right?" Bobbi asks, looping her arm through Skye's as they make their way toward the baggage claim.

Skye nods. "Mm-hmm. But only for a couple of days. Even though my character is one of the leads, this particular episode that I can't actually tell you about does not require my presence every day. Which means that I am all yours for most of the week."

"I think I can live with that. But only if you take me to set on one of the days you're working so I can see it."

Skye smiles. "Deal. Now let's grab your bags and go back to my place. I'm sure you just want to relax after a very long flight."

"You are absolutely correct," Bobbi says with a nod. "It's like you read my mind or something."

"It comes from years of being your friend."

"Ah, of course. And I know it might still be a bit of a touchy subject, but how are you doing after the breakup?"

Skye breathes in deeply, her shoulders slumping just a little. "I'm actually doing surprisingly better than I thought. I think we just grew apart. I don't want to blame my career, but honestly, I feel like it started happening not long after the movie premiered. That I just started getting busier and we drifted apart."

Bobbi frowns. "I'm sorry."

Skye smiles at her friend. "Thanks. But let's stop talking about my no longer existent love life and just focus on having the best week ever. We're both extremely hot and extremely single, let's have some fun while you're here."

"Yes, let's do that. That sounds like the perfect week to me."

.

.

.

"Bobbi, make yourself smaller," Skye instructs her friend as they smile into her phone's camera.

"You know as well as I do that's practically impossible," Bobbi replies, hunching down as much as she can on the couch without being too uncomfortable.

Skye huffs. "Fine." She shifts so she's on her knees and quickly snaps the picture before sitting back down. She smiles at the photo on her screen and tags Bobbi in it before putting a caption and sharing it to all of her social media accounts.

_My favorite lady finally came out to LA for a visit. She's gonna be here for the whole week and I'm so damn excited. I've missed her beautiful face. #mybobbi #bestfriendssincegradeschool_

"I can't wait for you to come to set with me tomorrow," Skye tells her friend as she locks her phone and sets it aside. She shifts on the couch and puts her full attention on the other woman.

Bobbi smiles wide. "Neither can I. Your show is one of my all-time favorites so I'm dying to see where all the action takes place. And meet that extremely handsome co-star of yours. It's a dream come true for any fangirl."

Skye rolls her eyes. "Didn't you already meet him once at a convention or something?"

Bobbi shrugs and waves her off. "It was a very fleeting moment. And the picture at our photo op turned out completely horrible. That whole con was just one disaster after another. And I'm still mad at you for not going with me."

"Right. Well, all I'm going to ask is that you don't get super weird around him or anything. He's still a regular person. Just a very well-known regular person."

"I'll try my hardest but I make no promises at all."

Skye laughs quietly. "As long as you try. Now come on, I don't feel like cooking tonight so we're going out. I'll show you my favorite place to go to."

"And do you go there so much that the employees know your order by heart?"

Skye's cheeks get hot as she ducks her head. "I mean, they might have...some idea of what I usually like to eat."

Bobbi laughs quietly, throwing her arm over Skye's shoulders. "Alright, let's get going then."

Skye smiles up at her friend. "Yes, let's."

.

.

.

"You know, when you said we were going out to eat, I thought you meant a really nice restaurant. Not Subway."

"But you like Subway," Skye defends her decision, setting her food down on the table and sliding into the booth.

"I do like Subway. But we're in LA, Skye, I thought we'd go somewhere with just a little bit more class than Subway. Maybe even a little pricier too."

Skye scoffs. "Believe me, if I had those kinds of funds, we would. But I'm still barely scraping by as it is."

"Didn't you get a lot of money from the movie, though?"

"Yes, but I still have to pay bills and groceries to buy like everybody else."

Bobbi nods in understanding. "Right. That makes sense."

"Oh, well if it isn't my favorite co-star and my favorite pain in the arse."

Skye smiles up at the man. "Hey, Lance."

"Hey, Skye. Hi, legs."

"Lance," Bobbi says through gritted teeth and Skye has to fight back her laugh at the two. "What are you doing here?"

Lance raises an eyebrow. "You do remember that I live in LA, yeah?"

"Yes, I remember. I meant what are you doing at Subway? I thought your kind found food in dumpsters to eat."

"Oh, you're hilarious, truly. What are you even doing in LA? I thought you lived in Chicago."

"I do. But I finally have a break from everything and came out to visit my best friend. Not that it's any of your business."

Lance nods once. "Right. Well, I'll see you around, Skye. And Bobbi, I hope I never see your face again while you're in town."

She gives him a tight smile. "Likewise."

He flashes a quick smile at Skye before turning and walking out of the restaurant, pushing through the double doors.

"I don't know why you guys are so mean to each other," Skye remarks, taking a sip from her soda before unwrapping her sandwich.

"You were there when we met," Bobbi tells her as she shifts in her seat and begins unwrapping her own sandwich. "You know it's all his fault."

"Maybe so. But at least you could try to be civil whenever you see him."

"It's a good thing we live in two different states, then," Bobbi tells her. "I don't have to worry about being civil toward him when I'm never going to see him."

Skye sighs and shakes her head. "Fine, I'll just drop it, then."

"I appreciate that."

* * *

"Grant," Skye calls out when she sees her co-star standing at the Craft Services table, perusing the different snacks and treats available to them throughout the day while on set.

Grant turns his head and smiles at her. "Skye, hey."

"Hey." She smiles back, pulling him down into a quick hug. "What's up?"

"Not much," he replies when they pull out of the hug. "Just getting a quick snack before I have to get back to set. What's up with you?"

"My best friend of all time is in town for the week."

"Oh yeah, I think I saw the picture you posted yesterday. You're clearly excited for her to be here." He reaches behind him for his plate of snacks.

Skye nods. "Absolutely. We've been best friends since we were kids when her family moved to town. She's been my number one fan on my whole career path, supporting me every step of the way. It kinda sucks with me being here in LA and her being back home in Chicago, but I'm just glad she's here to visit for the week."

He smiles. "Well, that's very good to hear. And where is your friend while you're here? Did you leave her at your place to fend for herself?"

She scoffs and grabs a few of the snacks off his plate. "No, thank you very much. I did not leave her at my place by herself. I'm not a monster. She's actually here with me. I told her I'd give her a tour of the place after I finish my scenes for the morning. She's in the bathroom right now, but I told her to meet me out here when she's done. Fair warning, she is a big fan of yours, so she's probably going to get a little star-struck when she sees you."

Grant smiles. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"Mmm, might wanna hold your tongue on that one. I'm pretty sure you've never met a fan like Bobbi before. She can be kind of...intense when it comes to her favorite actors and shows."

"Skye? You over here?"

Skye looks over her shoulder to see Bobbi approaching the area and waves her over. "Hey, you find your way okay?"

Bobbi nods. "Relatively, yeah. I got a bit turned around, but a couple of guys showed me the right way over here. They were really nice."

"Most of the crew are. But now, it is time for probably the most exciting moment of your life up to this point. Bobbi, I'd like for you to meet Grant Ward. Grant, this is my best friend in the entire world, Bobbi Morse."

"Wow," Bobbi breathes out quietly.

"Hi." Grant smiles politely. "It's great to finally meet you."

"We've actually met before," Bobbi blurts out before she can stop herself and Skye has to hold in her laugh behind her hand.

Grant furrows his brows. "We have?"

Bobbi nods. "Yeah. It was at a convention a number of years ago in Chicago; I don't know if you'd remember it. It wasn't the really big one that's super cool. It was a smaller one, that was really bad. You were one of the few big names the organizers somehow convinced to attend. I met you very briefly."

"Huh. I think I vaguely remember that convention. I'm always willing to go to conventions to meet fans, even if it isn't the most glamorous setup."

"We got a picture together too," she tells him. "But the picture turned out to be really blurry and out of focus. And the people wouldn't let me get another one later. Really, the whole thing was just a mess. Except for your panel, that was probably the only good part of the whole convention."

"Well we can't have that," Grant says. He looks over at Skye. "Do you mind?"

Skye smiles, already pulling out her phone, knowing exactly what he's getting at. "Not at all. In fact, it would be my pleasure."

"Wait, what's going on?" Bobbi asks with furrowed brows as Grant moves so he's standing right next to her.

"We are getting you a much better quality photo," he tells her as he drapes an arm across her shoulder.

Bobbi stays silent from shock as Grant steps a bit closer, her own arms down flat by her side.

"Smile, Bobbi," Skye instructs her friend.

A quick beat passes before Bobbi lets a wide grin take over her face and Skye can't help but smile too.

.

.

_Finally got a decent picture of this pretty lady with one of her all-time favorite actors. She'll probably try and downplay it if you were to ask her but I'm pretty sure this was the highlight of her entire trip. And she just got here yesterday. I don't know how I can top this moment. #mybobbi #herdaywasmade_

_**CallMeBobbi**_   _You can't. There is no topping this moment. I knew that being friends with an actor would pay off someday._

 _ **SkyesTheLimit @**_ _CallMeBobbi_   _please. You had no idea that anything like this would happen._

_**IMGrantWard** _ _I'm just glad I could help. :)_

.

.

.

_**@agenthaywood:** _ _Alright, that's a true friend right there, you guys. Truly amazing._

_._

_._

_**nikka001 posted** _

_Get you a friend that'll fly you out to her tv set so that you can meet your favorite actor_

_#Skye #friendship goals_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back with a new chapter for ya! This was a pretty fun one that I decided to include. Doesn't necessarily move the story along, per se, but it's just kind of fun. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"Grant!"

Turning his head at hearing his name, Grant finds one of the crew members for the show moving quickly toward him, a manila envelope clutched tightly in one hand as he adjusts the radio clipped on his hip.

"Hey, Mikey, what's up?"

"This came to the studio, addressed to you. Note on the front said it's really important."

"Okay, thanks." He takes the envelope held out to him and gives the man a small smile and quick nod, watching as he leaves, muttering something into his headset as he goes.

Settling further into his chair, he tears open the top of the envelope and pulls out a folded sheet of paper. He's gotten a lot of fan letters over the course of his career, but none of them have ever been hand-delivered like this particular one was.

Letting his eyes scan over the words, he reads the note carefully to himself.

_Hi_

_My name is Bethany and I'm a really big fan of 'Secret War: Fire and Earth' and have been loving what you guys are doing with the show so far, even though it's only just started airing. And I'm really excited to see what's going to happen as it goes on.  
_ _Anyways, recently, I started working on putting together a Breast Cancer support group/organization that was based on an Instagram caption you put out where you wrote "back at it", but some of the fans thought you had said "back a tit".  
_ _So I decided to take that on as the slogan and all-encompassing message for my organization. It's all in honor of my only auntie who's suffered twice from it and survived both times, thankfully.  
_ _I was hoping that you'd maybe consider signing a photo or something from the show for me to auction off as part of the start of the whole thing to raise money to donate to various cancer research groups.  
_ _I understand if you don't have the time to do so, but I'd really appreciate it if you would as this whole thing really means a lot to me._

_Thanks,  
_ _Bethany Moore_

"Hey, Skye, check this out," Grant calls out to his co-star, his eyes briefly looking up from the letter when he catches her out of the corner of his eye walking past him.

"What's up?" Skye asks as she walks over, swallowing the bit of bagel in her mouth and falling down into her chair next to him.

"I just got this letter from a fan. Apparently she started some kind of campaign from something I said on Instagram."

"Well you've said a lot of dumb stuff on there since I've known you, so what stupid thing did she pick?"

He rolls his eyes at her remark. "I'm not that dumb on Instagram."

"Grant, you're like the king of dumb captions."

He sighs. "I'm not going to argue with you about this anymore because I can already tell it's a losing battle for me."

"Glad you recognize that. So what exactly is this campaign?"

"Apparently, she started a Breast Cancer campaign from one of the hashtags I used. I wrote 'back at it' but I guess a lot of people thought I wrote 'back a tit'."

"Huh."

"Right?" He looks down at the letter again. "She asked if I could sign something to send to her so she can auction it off to raise money for the start of the campaign."

"So what are you gonna sign and send to her?" she asks, taking another bite of her food.

His brows furrow together. "I haven't decided that yet. At first, I was thinking of a photo or something, because that's what she asked for in her letter."

Skye rolls her eyes and grabs the paper out of his hand to skim over it with her own eyes. "Oh, come on, Grant. Literally everyone in this business does signed photos for this kind of stuff. You can totally do something better than that."

"I know. That's why I said it was my  _first_  thought. Not my final decision."

She swallows the last of her bagel, her eyes still on the paper. "Good. Because that idea sucked. Everyone does that kind of stuff." She looks up at him with a wide grin. "We can totally do them one better."

He smiles back at her. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

.

.

.

_Bethany,_

_This is Grant Ward, and I'm writing on behalf of myself and my co-star, Skye. We read your letter, and we would both be honored to send you something signed for your auction.  
_ _However, instead of just a regular old signed photograph, we wanted to up the ante a little. I talked with Skye, and we've come up with a few ideas for items that you could auction off that might get you more money than a simple autographed photo might have.  
_ _At the bottom of this letter is an email address that you can reach me at so that we can discuss details further for this and really hash everything out.  
_ _We both look forward to working with you._

_-Grant Ward_

"Alright, what do you think?" Grant asks, pushing the sheet of paper across the table so Skye can read through it and see if there's anything she wants to add to it. Or take out of it. It's a collaborative effort.

Her eyes scan over the page and then she nods, looking up at him. "It's good. But you should probably put that it was mainly my idea."

"Skye…"

She holds her hands up. "Fine, fine. It's good how it is." She slides the paper back over to him.

"Thank you. Now just to send it."

"Oh, I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she gets this letter," Skye remarks, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "I bet she's going to freak out when she gets it."

"Yeah?"

Skye nods. "Oh, yeah. If I was in her position I would freak out too. Getting a letter from one of your favorite celebrities would make any fan freak out. In a good way, of course."

"Well, then we better get this letter sent off." He stands from his chair and holds his arm out to her, a smile on his face. "Care to join me in the mailing process?"

She grins, standing and looping her arm through his. "Absolutely."

* * *

_Now that certain things have been talked about and finalized, I can officially announce that @SkyesTheLimit and I have decided to become mascots of sorts for the BackATit campaign, raising money for various breast cancer, and other cancers, groups, support and otherwise.  
_ _This is some amazing work being done by one amazing individual. Hit up the link in my bio for your chance to win a FaceTime call with myself and Skye. We can talk about you, us, the show, whatever you want. Just no spoilers. ;)  
_ _Give a donation of at least five dollars through the official link and you're automatically entered to win. Even if you aren't the grand prize winner, a select few others will have their pick at some other neat items being modeled above by fellow cast members.  
_ _Winners will be chosen at random just after the start of the new year, so be sure to get your entries in as soon as possible.  
_ _#BackATit #charity #auction #SecretWar #SecretWarriors #fightcancer #cancersucks #fcancer_

Skye smiles as she reads over the caption on Grant's latest Instagram post, making a mental note to repost it later to her own account.

As she continues scrolling, her screen shifts to an incoming call. Her best friend's face pops up on the screen, an old photo that they took forever ago before she became a famous actress. She hits the answer call button and holds the device up as she leans back against her pillow.

"Hey, pretty lady."

"You are a true hero, Skye."

She laughs quietly. "And what exactly am I a hero for?"

"For donating to that girl's charity auction."

Skye waves off her friend, even though she can't see her. "Oh, it was nothing. The letter was originally addressed to Grant, but I wanted to get in on it too. It seemed like fun."

"Well, I'm sure that girl was thrilled."

"And so will be the person who actually wins the auction," Skye says.

"Whose idea was it to make that the prize?"

She shrugs. "Mostly mine, but Grant contributed a little."

"Right."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Then why did you sound skeptical?" Skye asks.

"You always think I sound skeptical."

"Because you always do sound skeptical."

"Can you really blame me when I have you for a best friend?"

Skye tilts her head in thought. "No, I guess I can't."

"Seriously, though," Bobbi says, "it's a pretty cool auction prize. If I couldn't FaceTime you whenever I wanted to already then I'd most definitely enter it."

"You still can," Skye tells her. "I'll just make sure you don't win the grand prize."

"Now what kind of best friend does that make you?"

"The kind who wants a random fan out there to win and have the chance to feel special."

"Alright, alright, I see your point."

"I'm glad that you do."

.

.

.

_**@agenthaywood:** _ _Dude. Are Grant and Skye really the faces of @BackATit? Because I am so down for that. True heroes, you guys._

_._

_._

_**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _I wanna enter to win but knowing me and my luck I probably won't win. But it's for a good cause, so I guess I probably will anyway._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! This one's a little different, as it's only done through texting/social media. Nothing super exciting happens, it's more of a filler chapter? But it's still fun, I think.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Hey. Are you busy?**

_Not at the moment. Why?_

**I'm bored.**

_Aren't you in Chicago with your family?_

**Yeah.**

_So then why are you bored?_

**Because Miles isn't here this year since we broke up and for some reason, Bobbi decided to travel with some of her school friends over the holiday, so now I'm all alone.**

_Don't you have other friends there that you could hang out with? Or your brother?_

**Unfortunately, doctors in training still have to work throughout the holiday, so we don't get to hang out as much as I would like to. And all of my old friends from school are pretty much out of town or busy with their own families. Losers.**

_Ah. Well, I'm sorry to hear that. If we were in the same state, you know I'd hang out with you in a heartbeat._

**So then why don't you fly out here and put me out of my misery?**

_Because I'm hanging out with my own family. My sister's family, to be more exact._

**Bring them with you.**

_I appreciate the offer. But I highly doubt that my sister would want to load her children onto a plane last minute to go to Chicago. When you have kids of your own one day I think you'll understand._

**I'm going to cry.  
** **From boredom.  
** **I'm going to cry from boredom and it's all your fault.**

_How is it my fault?_

**Because you're not here to put me out of my misery.**

_Well, I'm sorry about that, I really am. I promise that as soon as you're back in LA, I'll help cure you of your boredom._

**That won't really be necessary since I'll be back in LA and back to work.**

_Well, could I least give you your Christmas present when you get back to town?_

**Absolutely.**

_I thought so._

.

.

.

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _I'm sooooo bored_

 _[IMGrantWard sent you a snap]  
_ _Tough_

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _You're mean_

 _[IMGrantWard sent you a snap]  
_ _Okay. And?_

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _I hate you._

 _[IMGrantWard sent you a snap]  
_ _No, you don't_

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _You're supposed to use this to make me feel better_

 _[IMGrantWard sent you a snap]  
_ _When did I ever agree to that?_

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _It was implied when I set you up with this_

 _[IMGrantWard sent you a snap]  
_ _Gotta go. Sorry._

 _[skyehigh sent you a snap]  
_ _jerk_

.

.

.

_Merry Christmas Eve!_

**Merry Christmas Eve? Really? You're one of those people?**

_Yeah, I am. Are you having fun right now?_

**Trying to.  
** **My niece and nephews definitely love the holidays. They're being particularly rowdy right now though. They really want to stay up late tonight to see Santa when he brings them their presents.**

_I always wanted to do that too. But I never managed to do it. Bobbi and I tried every year. We came close a couple of times but never actually made it until we were older._

**I did it once when I was a kid.**

_You did?_

**Yeah. Not for too long, but I did.**

_I'm jealous._

**Aww. That's sweet.**

_Shut up. You better not hold this against me._

**I won't.**

_Mm...I'm not sure if I believe you._

**I promise I won't hold it over you.**

_You better not. Because then I will have to release some very embarrassing photos of you that I managed to get a hold of._

**Kebo.**

_He really has no hesitation whatsoever in embarrassing you._

**I know. Which is why I always question keeping him around.**

_Aww, don't get rid of him. He's entertaining._

**I'll be sure to tell him that.**

_No need. He already knows. I texted him earlier._

**You did?**

_Yeah. I had to wish him a Merry Christmas Eve too._

**I don't know why I thought you two meeting would ever be a good thing for my sanity.**

_Oh, you know you love it._

**No, I really don't.**

.

.

.

**Merry Christmas, Robot!**

_Thanks, Rookie. Merry Christmas to you too.  
_ _You enjoying your holiday? Did your brother manage to get time away from the hospital to be home with you guys?_

**I am, actually. And yeah, he did for a few hours. Thank goodness. Mom and dad wouldn't let me open presents until he got home, though. So that sucked.**

_I'm sorry to hear that._

**Eh. No big. I got some great presents, though.**

_Well, that's good._

**Yeah. And when I get back to LA you're giving me my present, right?**

_Yes, I will._

**Good. And I have a present for you as well. We can meet up and exchange gifts after I get back.**

_Sounds good to me. Do you want to arrange a meeting now, or wait until you actually get back?_

**Let's wait. To be honest, I'll probably forget if we decide now.**

_Good point. I'll see you when you get back, then, Rookie._

**See you soon, Robot**

_._

_._

_._

_**@Skye:** _ _Merry Christmas, everybody! Hope everyone's having fun today! Seeing as this is my favorite holiday, I know I'm having tons of fun. :)_

_**@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye Why are you lying to everyone?_

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard Why are you calling me out on Twitter?_

_**@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye Someone needs to keep you honest. :)_

_**@Skye:** @_ _IMGrantWard I hate you. I texted you in confidence._

_**@IMGrantWard:** @_ _Skye Stop kidding yourself. You know you don't hate me. :)_

_._

_._

_._

' **SECRET WARRIORS' ACTRESS CALLED OUT**

_It's no surprise when celebrities fly home for the holidays to visit their family and have a good time. More often than not, they love going home and hanging out with their friends and family, to reconnect and spend as much time together as possible._

_However, after 'Secret Warriors' actress, Skye, posted to her Twitter account Christmas morning, stating how she was having fun being home, she got called out._

_Skye's co-star, Grant Ward, replied to her tweet, asking her why she was lying to her fans, telling her that someone needs to keep her honest._

_It's no doubt that fans love seeing these two together, and witnessing their interactions over social media, so of course, this had everyone buzzing. What was Skye lying about? Is there trouble brewing on the home front?_

.

.

.

_Happy New Year, Rookie!_

**You know it's already past midnight here, right?**

_Yeah, I know._

**Good. Just making sure that the late hour hasn't gotten to you. Though, I'm sure you know the exact time in that Robot brain of yours.**

**And happy new year to you too.**

_Thanks. Kiss anyone at the stroke of twelve?_

**Unfortunately, no.**

**You and Jemma shared a kiss, though, I presume?**

_We did, yes._

**That's good. It's good to kiss your significant other at New Year's.**

_Yes, it is. I'm sorry you didn't have anyone to kiss this year._

**It's all good. I could use a bit of a break from all that mushy stuff for once. Besides, my brother didn't have anyone either, so I wasn't the only one being lonely.**

_Right. Well, I'll see you in a few days._

**Can't wait.**

.

.

.

_I'm on my way back to LA!_

**Yeah?**

_Yeah. You excited to see me again?_

**I mean, I guess so.**

_Oh, come on. You know you love being in my presence. I'm your favorite person in the entire world._

**Mm...you might have to fight my niece on that. She's pretty convinced that she's my favorite person in the world.**

_How old is she?_

**Six.**

_She can keep the title, then. I'm not down for fighting six-year-olds._

**I figured as much.**

**But I do enjoy your company, in case you were wondering.**

_I had a feeling. :)_

.

.

.

 _Reunited with my favorite. He'll deny it repeatedly, but I know I'm his favorite too. #backinla #illmissyouchicago #imissedhisweirdface  
_ _**IMGrantWard** _ _Pretty sure we already decided that my niece has that spot in my life.  
_ _**SkyesTheLimit** @_ _IMGrantWard There you go denying it again. Shame on you, sir._

.

.

.

 _**@AnnikaDavila:** _ _I know they've said they're not dating, and he's been seen out with another woman, but seriously! These two are going to be the death of me._

.

.

**kathrinaelisabeth posted**

_Those two just need to get together already and put me out of my misery._

_#Grant Ward #Skye #Skyeward #please just get together_

**13 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! There are only two chapters left after this, so I hope you're ready! I promise that all your patience will pay off in the end. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

"Hey, Jem." Grant smiles brightly at his girlfriend as he enters her apartment after a long day of work. It's still fairly early in the evening, though, thankfully. They were able to finish filming at a semi-decent hour so he wasn't out too late. He closes the door behind him and slips his shoes off before walking over to her. He places a kiss on her cheek as he sets his keys in the bowl on the long table right behind the couch.

Jemma smiles back at him. "Hi, darling. How was your day?"

"Oh, it was great." He falls down next to her, draping his arm across the back of the couch as he lets his body relax. "We did some pretty cool stuff today. Skye had to do all of these crazy flips in mid-air and she was attached to this ridiculous harness setup. She had to do some stunting before for the movie and a few things at the start of the season, but nothing like this. She was so nervous about doing it, but I promised her that if anything happened while she was stunting that I'd be right there beside her for moral support. Luckily, she managed to do it all without any problems. Told her I'd take her out for a drink soon to celebrate not dying while doing stunts." He smiles and laughs a little at the memory from just a few hours earlier. It had definitely been entertaining from his side of things.

Jemma smiles. "That's great. But um, I wanted to talk to you about something. Something rather important."

"Oh, yeah, of course." He turns in his seat to face her. "What do you want to talk about?"

She breathes in deeply, shifting on the couch so she's facing him. "Well, the status of our relationship, actually, and where we're going."

He furrows his brows. "Okay, um, this is kind of coming out of nowhere." He scratches the back of his neck. "But if it's something you think we should talk about, then I guess maybe we should."

"Great. Well, the first thing that I need to know before we talk any further is if you actually want to be in a relationship with me."

"What? Of course I want to be with you, Jemma."

"Are you sure? Because ever since we've been back together, you've been spending an awful lot of time with Skye whenever you get the chance." She holds up a hand to gently cut him off when he goes to speak. "I understand that you're friends and are filming a show together, but there's a part of me that can't help but wonder if it's actually Skye that you want to be with, and that she's the one you can imagine having a real future with."

He shrugs, slumping down a little in his seat. "Maybe before. But she had a boyfriend so I couldn't exactly make a move."

She nods her head. "I see."

His brows furrow. "You see? What exactly do you see?"

"You said she  _had_  a boyfriend, as in past tense. So I'm assuming the two of them broke up."

Grant nods his head. "The same night you and I got back together, actually."

"And now that she is no longer in a relationship with him, you've slowly been gravitating more toward her. Because she's really the one you want to be with. But you don't want to hurt me so you haven't done anything about those feelings."

"What? That's—"

"Completely true," Jemma cuts him off gently with a hand on his arm. "But don't worry. I'm not angry with you, Grant. I understand. And it'd be wrong of me if I didn't tell you I've been spending quite a bit of time with Leo recently."

He quirks a brow. "Leo? As in Leo Fitz, the one I work with?"

Jemma nods her head slowly. "Yes. When I came to visit you on set the two of us met and we started hanging out more. Does that bother you at all?"

He thinks for a moment. "You know what? It probably should, but it doesn't. And I think you should go for it with him."

"You do?"

He smiles at her and nods. "Absolutely. Fitz is a great guy and one of my closest friends. I think you two would be really great together."

Jemma smiles back at him. "That means a lot coming from you, Grant, thank you. You've always been a pretty great guy, just so you know."

"And you've always been a very spectacular woman. I always wondered why you wanted to date me." There's a moment of silence between them before he speaks up again, "So I guess we're really ending things?"

Jemma breathes in deeply. "Yes. I guess that we are. There's really no sense in continuing on in this relationship when we're both feeling something toward someone else."

"I guess you're right. So uh, what happens from here, then?"

"What happens from here is that you go and get the woman you actually want to be with," she tells him with a small smile.

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way about me that I feel about her?" he asks nervously. "What if I put myself out there and she completely shuts me down? It'll make filming the show so much more awkward and uncomfortable than it has to be."

"You're both professionals, Grant," Jemma tells him. "You'll figure it out."

"So is that you saying that you don't think she feels the same way about me that I feel about her?" he asks.

Jemma rolls her eyes. "You're completely hopeless sometimes, Grant Ward. Be bold, take a risk, tell her how you feel. Just...maybe wait a little while since you just got out of one relationship. You don't want her to think she's just a rebound for you."

He nods. "Right, yeah. And how...how should I...ask her?"

"You seem awfully nervous about this," she observes.

"I just don't want to screw up my friendship with her. She's important to me already and I don't want to lose that. Plus I really, really like her and think that I can really have a future with her if she wants to be with me. And I just realized that I'm telling all of this to you." He lets out a nervous laugh as he shifts in his spot.

Jemma waves him off. "It's alright, Grant. I think I knew when we started dating again that this wouldn't last in the long term. We got back together because it was comfortable and familiar." She takes a deep breath. "And as for when you should ask her, aren't you shooting the finale soon?"

He nods. "It's still a little ways out, but yeah. We're going to Utah to film it. Which is actually a little weird and slightly unconventional, but apparently it has exactly what the producers want for the finale. They managed to get the funds to move us all out there for a week."

She nods. "That's excellent. It's a new place, a bit exciting. When you have a break in filming, long enough to really talk, take her somewhere special. You need to make her feel like she's all that matters to you in that one single moment."

He nods slowly as he mulls over the advice given to him by his now ex-girlfriend on how to get a new girlfriend. It's definitely bizarre. "Yeah, okay. I think I can do that."

"Good. I'm really sorry about this, Grant."

He smiles softly at her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm just glad that we're both mature enough to talk about this like civilized human beings and come to an understanding. And I guess it's a good thing that we did this now instead of letting it drag on for too much longer."

"Yes, I suppose so."

He takes a deep breath and stands from his seat. "Well, I suppose I should probably be going, then. Can I come back by another time? I think I only have a few things here."

She nods. "Yes, that's fine. You still have a key so you can come by whenever and then just leave the key when you're done."

"I will do that."

"Excellent."

He smiles softly at her. "I'll see you around, Jemma."

"Yes, you will."

.

.

.

Stepping foot inside his apartment, he sighs when his phone immediately starts ringing. He closes the door tightly and toes his shoes off against the wall.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he gets a small smile on his face at the name and photo on the screen. It's a photo of his niece and nephews from over the holiday.

He holds the phone up to his ear as he drops his keys and wallet onto the counter just inside.

"What happened?"

Grant's brows furrow at the question from his sister as soon as the call connects. "What?"

"What happened?" Amanda repeats.

"Why do you think anything happened?" he asks, falling down onto the couch and throwing his feet up onto the coffee table in front of him.

"Sibling telepathy, Grant. I know when something's wrong."

He chuckles. "I'm pretty sure that only happens with twins, but okay. I'll go with you on this for now." He takes a deep breath and crosses one of his arms over his chest. "What exactly did your sibling telepathy tell you?"

"That you're hurting."

"I'm not."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Grant…"

He sighs, knowing she'll just keep pestering him about it. "Okay, I'm not exactly hurting, per se, just a little sad."

"About what?"

"Jemma and I broke up."

"What? You did?"

"Yeah. I just got back from her place. I walked through the door of my apartment when you called me, actually."

"Did you break up with her, or did she break up with you?"

"It was more of a mutual break up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean...she brought it up, but we both decided together that we'd be better off with other people."

"And do you have another someone in mind that you want to be with instead of Jemma?"

"Why would you think that I would?"

"I'm your big sister, Grant. You can never pull one over on me. So who is she?"

He shifts in his seat, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Um...Skye, actually."

"Seriously?"

He shrugs. "Yeah. I guess...I guess by spending so much time with her…"

"You've developed feelings for her."

"Yeah."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Jemma told me to ask her out when we go to Utah to film the finale. She said to take her somewhere special and make her feel like she's the most important thing in the world to me. That last part won't be hard at all."

"Wow. Your ex-girlfriend giving you advice on how to get a new girlfriend. A lot of guys would love to be in your shoes."

"It's a pretty unique situation."

"That it is."

"But I'm okay with it."

"You are?"

He nods, breathing in deeply. "Yeah. Jemma and I were good together, and I do love her, but I don't think that we were meant to work out in the long term. She's always going to be a good friend, and I'm always going to love her in that way, but I can't see a future with her anymore. At least, not with us being in a relationship."

"Wow. You're definitely handling this breakup better than I've seen most guys handle it."

"It's honestly really hard to be mad at Jemma. Her accent makes it more difficult. Plus, you never want her to be mad at you either because she can do a complete one-eighty from being all sweet and soft-spoken and it's honestly pretty scary."

"I do remember you telling me that once. Didn't you witness it once?"

"And I vowed to never see it again if I could avoid it. Thankfully I haven't. At least, not directed at me. Seriously though, I'm glad that Jemma and I can still be friends. She's a great person, and I still want her in my life."

"Well, I'm really happy for you, Grant. I should probably go now because I think the boys are starting to argue with each other and we both know where it might go."

"Yes, you should probably go break that up. I'll talk to you later." He smiles as he ends the call. He always feels better after talking to his sister, no matter how he's feeling beforehand.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he drops his phone on the cushion next to him and leans back, running his hands through his hair as he thinks. Now it's all up to him to make the next move.

.

.

.

_**nikka001 posted** _

_Okay, so I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of Leo Fitz getting all cozy at a restaurant with Jemma Simmons aka GRANT WARD'S SUPPOSED GIRLFRIEND! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE PEOPLE?!_

_Tumblr sleuths, you're being called to action again. Do your duty. Find out what's happening._

_#grant ward #skye #leo fitz #jemma simmons #what is happening?_

**16 notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Also, if you want your Tumblr URL or twitter handle featured in this story, as shown at the end of this chapter, just let me know. I've got all the pieces pretty nailed down, but I'm more than willing to shift things if someone wants their handle featured. :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


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